In the second quarter of 2024, 31% of organizations in Poland indicate a desire to strengthen their workforce, while 46% of them do not want to make any changes to their structures. 21% of employers are considering potential layoffs, which is a result 5 percentage points higher than in the first months of this year. The net employment forecast for Poland for the upcoming second quarter, reflecting recruitment sentiments, is +11%. This data comes from a report published today by ManpowerGroup, presenting recruitment plans for companies from April to the end of June 2024. Which industries declare the greatest recruitment needs, and which areas are thinking about layoffs? Which regions of Poland will have the most job offers? What organizations want to strengthen their teams the most? More in the latest “ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Barometer” report.
Today, ManpowerGroup published their latest “Employment Outlook Barometer” report, revealing companies’ employment plans for the second quarter of 2024. The net employment forecast for Poland, showing companies’ intentions to hire new staff, is +11% this time, which is 5 percentage points lower than the forecast for the first months of this year, but 1 percentage point higher than the year-on-year comparison. This means that the labor market is somewhat less dynamic, has stabilized a bit, but companies still plan to expand their teams, albeit with less optimism than in the winter.
– After a moderately optimistic start to this year, we can see stabilization in the market and signs of slowing down in many industries. Although the net employment forecast is lower than that declared by companies some months ago, we cannot forget that this is still an optimistic, double-digit result – says Tomasz Walenczak, General Director of ManpowerGroup in Poland. We live in a time when we will regularly have to deal with storms related to the global economic and political situation – we need to get used to it, prepare for the challenges from such turbulence. Organizations face not only a shortage of talents, seasonal labor shortages, but also many unpredictable situations – such as wars, political conflicts, and raw material price increases. The labor market is very sensitive to any such disturbances, which is why organizations are careful when planning new recruitments – the expert adds.
Out of the surveyed companies, 31% plan to hire new employees, 21% of organizations talk about the need for layoffs, and only 2% of firms do not know their employment plans for the upcoming period. 46% of employers want to keep their staff at the same level as before.
As highlighted by Tomasz Walenczak, the second quarter of this year will involve organizations focusing on reskilling and upskilling workers. Companies are more boldly implementing elements of artificial intelligence, optimizing processes and increasing efficiency. However, we must remember that humans still remain at the center of AI, and employers focusing on their teams is certainly the best form of investment – the expert reassures.
Consumer goods and services sector most open to new talents
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Barometer shows that in the second quarter of 2024, companies in six out of eight analysed sectors plan to increase the number of employees. The largest number of job offers can be expected by candidates in the consumer goods and services sector (+32%), life sciences and healthcare (+30%), and energy and utilities services (+26%). A bit lower, but still optimistic employment forecasts are declared by employers in the finance and real estate industry (+16%), industry and raw materials (+14%) as well as IT (+6%). Representatives of transport, logistics & automotive sectors, as well as communication services, should prepare for minor job cuts (-5% and -12% respectively).
– Employers from the transport, logistics and automotive industries, as well as from communication services, are likely to make minor job cuts. On the other hand, the coming months mark the start of many industries’ peak seasons, hence the desire for new recruitments by employers of consumer goods and services.
Recruitments in the center of Poland, layoffs in the north
ManpowerGroup’s analysis presents data divided by regions of Poland. It shows that companies located in the central (+17%) and southwest (+12%) areas of the country have the strongest recruitment appetite.
Large companies with the highest recruitment forecasts
ManpowerGroup’s analysis of employers’ recruitment plans includes division by the size of organizations. Data for the second quarter of 2024 shows that companies with over 5000 talents (+33%) in their structures and 1000-4999 employees are most open to expanding their teams.
Poland in comparison to the EMEA region
Analyzing the data for the second quarter of 2024 for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, the average result for all countries in the region is +15%. The companies located in the Netherlands (+32%), South Africa (+29%), and Switzerland (+29%) declare the greatest demand for growing their teams. On the other hand, employers in Romania (-2%) point to the need for some employment reduction.
