LABOUR MARKET
Foreign Workers in Poland Hit a Record 1.13 Million in February 2026
At the end of February 2026, 1,132,419 foreign nationals were working in Poland — up 7.1% (75,000 people) year-on-year. For HR departments and executives across logistics, construction and services, this is no longer a marginal addition to the workforce — it is a structural and growing pillar of it. Data from Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS) show the number of foreign workers has risen almost without interruption for more than a year, with Ukrainian nationals remaining by far the largest nationality group — even as the inflow of new labour slowly diversifies.
Employment dynamics
The number of foreign workers in Poland has risen almost continuously since the start of 2025. GUS’s index (January 2025 = 100) shows an 8.4-point increase over 13 months, with brief flattening in spring and around the turn of the year — a typical effect of seasonal short-term contracts. The growth rate for women and men from abroad has been nearly identical, suggesting the new labour supply is spreading across the whole market rather than concentrating in a handful of strongly gendered sectors.
Index of foreign workers performing work in Poland (January 2025 = 100). Source: own elaboration based on GUS data.
Which industries employ foreign workers
For HR leaders, what matters is where dependence on foreign staff has become structural. Almost 20% of all foreign workers in Poland are employed in “administrative and support service activities” (temp agencies, security, cleaning, call centres), and a further 18.5% in manufacturing. Transport and warehousing and construction round out the top four sectors where scaling a business without foreign labour is now difficult. There is also a clear gender split: in construction, women make up just 6.4% of foreign workers, while in trade, hospitality and administrative services they account for more than half.
Foreign workers in Poland by PKD 2025 section, as of 28 February 2026. Source: own elaboration based on GUS data.
| PKD section | Foreign workers | % of total | Of which women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative and support services | 217,342 | 19.2% | 50.8% |
| Manufacturing | 209,389 | 18.5% | 41.2% |
| Transport and warehousing | 158,293 | 14.0% | 14.8% |
| Construction | 125,679 | 11.1% | 6.4% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 87,121 | 7.7% | 54.2% |
| Accommodation and food service | 74,992 | 6.6% | 58.4% |
| IT, telecoms and consulting | 50,984 | 4.5% | 30.7% |
| Professional and scientific activities | 48,824 | 4.3% | 48.1% |
| All other PKD sections | 159,795 | 14.1% | – |
Where foreign workers in Poland come from
Ukrainian nationals still make up the clear majority — 67.9% of all foreign workers in Poland — and their numbers are growing faster than the overall average (+8.5% YoY). Belarus ranks second, with 118,900 people (10.5%). The rest of the market, however, is increasingly diverse geographically: foreign workers in Poland now come from more than 150 countries, with India, Georgia, Colombia and the Philippines among the next-largest groups — often filling roles in sectors facing the most acute domestic labour shortages.
Nationality breakdown of foreign workers in Poland, as of end of February 2026. Source: own elaboration based on GUS data.
| Nationality | Number of people | Of which women |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 769,300 | 47.2% |
| Belarus | 118,903 | 27.9% |
| India | 22,711 | 12.3% |
| Georgia | 21,417 | 19.3% |
| Colombia | 19,368 | 30.8% |
| Philippines | 14,921 | 34.1% |
| Moldova | 12,636 | 27.8% |
| Nepal | 12,293 | 16.0% |
Foreign workers across Poland’s regions
The geographic distribution of foreign employment is heavily concentrated. Mazowieckie voivodeship alone accounts for 274,138 working foreign nationals — a quarter of all foreign workers resident in Poland — of which 231,350 (84% of the region) are in the Warsaw metropolitan subregion alone. Outside the capital, the largest labour markets for foreign workers are the Dolnośląskie, Wielkopolskie, Śląskie and Małopolskie voivodeships — each with more than 85,000 working foreign nationals.
Foreign workers by place of residence, as of 28 February 2026. Excludes 38,912 people resident abroad. Source: own elaboration based on GUS data.
| Voivodeship | Foreign workers | Of which women |
|---|---|---|
| Mazowieckie | 274,138 | 115,235 |
| Dolnośląskie | 133,018 | 57,357 |
| Wielkopolskie | 118,996 | 44,404 |
| Śląskie | 94,899 | 38,450 |
| Małopolskie | 87,592 | 34,906 |
| Pomorskie | 80,191 | 33,399 |
| Łódzkie | 74,372 | 32,580 |
| Zachodniopomorskie | 54,680 | 24,028 |
| Lubuskie | 42,329 | 17,322 |
| Kujawsko-Pomorskie | 32,534 | 12,600 |
| Lubelskie | 23,699 | 7,612 |
| Opolskie | 20,278 | 7,845 |
| Podlaskie | 18,190 | 6,908 |
| Podkarpackie | 14,861 | 4,783 |
| Warmińsko-Mazurskie | 14,525 | 6,271 |
| Świętokrzyskie | 9,205 | 3,171 |
About this data
Data come from the GUS signal release “Foreigners performing work in Poland in February 2026”, published on 11 August 2026 by the Statistical Office in Bydgoszcz. Figures cover people working in the national economy as well as those performing mandate and related civil-law contracts (including agency agreements, service contracts and management contracts), all subject to social or health insurance contributions (ZUS). The data exclude specific-task contracts (umowa o dzieło), agricultural helper contracts, mandate contracts held with one’s own employer, and pupils and students under the age of 26. During the transition period between the PKD 2007 and PKD 2025 industry classifications (through 31 December 2026), GUS applies official correspondence keys between the two systems. Source: GUS.
