Average gross pay in Katowice’s enterprise sector reached PLN 10,286.98 in July, but employment was 1.8% lower than a year earlier. Retail sales, construction activity and the number of businesses were growing, while the unemployment rate remained among the lowest in Poland’s major cities.
| Indicator | July 2026 | m/m | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average employment | 125.8k | −0.7% | −1.8% |
| Average gross pay | PLN 10,286.98 | −9.4% | +4.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.9% | +0.1 pp | +0.6 pp |
| Retail sales | — | +7.0% | +13.6% |
| Sold industrial output | PLN 1.846bn* | — | +0.8%** |
| Sold construction output | PLN 369.5m | +7.2% | +28.0% |
| REGON entities | 59,317 | +0.3% | +3.6% |
* Current prices. ** Change at constant prices.
July data show Katowice’s economy moving at two different speeds. Consumer demand, construction and the business base are growing, while the labour market remains the weaker part of the picture. Companies employ fewer people than a year ago and registered unemployment has increased. This does not mean high unemployment, however: the rate was only 1.9%.
Wages are rising while employment falls
Average employment in the enterprise sector reached 125.8 thousand jobs in July. It was 0.7% lower than in June and 1.8% lower than a year earlier. The sharpest annual decline was in industry, down 9.8%, followed by administrative and support services at 4.3% and accommodation and food service at 3.4%.
At the same time, some sectors increased employment. Transportation and storage had 22.8% more jobs than a year earlier and construction 16.3% more. Professional, scientific and technical activities rose 2.6%, while trade and motor-vehicle repair increased 1.4%.
Average gross pay reached PLN 10,286.98 in July, 4.8% more than a year earlier. Compared with June, however, pay was 9.4% lower. Among the 18 cities in the Statistical Office comparison, Katowice ranked fifth for average pay, behind Kraków, Warsaw, Gdańsk and Poznań.
Information and communication had the largest premium over the Katowice average, at 44.9%. Industrial pay was 9.6% above average and real estate activities 1.6% above. Accommodation and food service was at the other end of the ranking, with pay 38% below average.
Unemployment remains low, but the number of jobless is rising
At the end of July, 3,887 people were registered as unemployed in Katowice, 79 more than a month earlier and 1,070 more than in July 2025. The unemployment rate rose to 1.9% from 1.8% in June and 1.3% a year ago. It remained far below the 4.8% rate in Śląskie and the 5.8% national rate.
Labour offices received 317 job vacancies in July. There were 12 registered unemployed people per vacancy, compared with 16 a month earlier. During the month, 542 people registered and 463 left the register, including 289 who found work.
Retail sales are much stronger than a year ago
Retail sales were 7.0% higher than in June and 13.6% higher than a year earlier. From January through July they increased 13.4% y/y. The strongest annual gains were in motor vehicles, motorcycles and parts, up 27%, and textiles, clothing and footwear, up 25%.
Food, beverages and tobacco sales increased 20.4%. Wholesale sales also grew on an annual basis, by 10.1% at trading enterprises and 12.2% at wholesale enterprises.
Industry is slightly positive, but results are uneven
Sold industrial output reached PLN 1.846 billion at current prices in July and was 0.8% higher year on year at constant prices. From January through July it totalled PLN 13.846 billion and grew 1.6% in real terms.
Manufacturing sales rose 9.1% y/y in July but remained 7.6% below the 2025 level over the first seven months. Labour productivity in industry increased 8.6% y/y over that period, a notable contrast with declining industrial employment.
Construction had a strong July
Sold construction output reached PLN 369.5 million. It was 7.2% higher than in June and as much as 28% above a year earlier. Construction and assembly output reached PLN 133.9 million, up 9.5% y/y.
The year-to-date picture is calmer. Sold construction output was 0.1% lower than a year ago and construction and assembly output 2.9% lower. Specialised construction activities rose 48.9%, while civil engineering fell 28.1%.
Housing: more completions, fewer construction starts
In July, 248 homes were completed, 98.4% more than a year earlier. From January through July, 1,668 homes were delivered, 19.7% more than in the same period of 2025. In housing for sale or rent, completions rose from 1,129 to 1,487.
At the same time, housing starts fell 34.5% y/y to 1,564 units. Building permits or project notifications covered 3,712 homes, 52.9% more than a year earlier. The housing market therefore sends mixed signals: current completions are strong, starts are weaker, but the permitted pipeline is expanding sharply.
It is worth comparing these figures with the secondary market. In July, the number of apartment listings in Katowice also declined in market data, as described in our Polish-language analysis of housing supply across Poland’s largest metropolitan areas.
The number of businesses in Katowice is rising
At the end of July, the REGON register contained 59,317 entities from Katowice, 3.6% more than a year earlier. Commercial companies increased to 15,587, up 5.4% y/y, and sole proprietors to 34,252, up 3.4%.
In July alone, 344 new entities were entered into REGON and 176 were removed. New commercial-company registrations were 55.2% higher than in June and limited liability company registrations 62.2% higher. At the same time, 7,445 entities had suspended operations, 3.1% more than a month earlier.
Katowice is growing without an improvement in employment
The July picture is relatively strong on demand and business activity. Retail sales are growing at a double-digit pace, construction had a very strong month, the number of businesses is higher than a year ago and average pay exceeded PLN 10,000 gross. Employment, particularly in industry, and rising registered unemployment remain the weaker elements.
There is still no sign of a breakdown in the local labour market. An unemployment rate of 1.9% remains very low compared with the region and the country. The coming months will show whether the fall in employment begins to slow and whether strong sales and a larger investment pipeline translate into stronger demand for workers.
For the nationwide context, see the Polish-language article Wages in July 2026: average pay rose to PLN 9,509.
Source: Statistical Office in Katowice, “Statystyka Katowic 7/2026”, data generated as of 24 August 2026. Poland Insight analysis based on Statistics Poland data. New unemployment-registration rules have applied since 1 June 2025, which may affect comparability. Enterprise-sector data cover entities employing more than nine people.
