More and more students in Poland are deciding to take on temporary jobs, managing to balance them with their studies. Over the last year, the number of such individuals has grown by 18 percent. Most often, they find employment in the trade, gastronomy, logistics, or various types of services sectors, as well as anywhere that does not require specialized knowledge and where the work schedule is flexible and can be adjusted to class hours. They earn a living working as couriers, food deliverers, warehouse workers, cashiers, as well as in call centers or in junior positions in corporations, according to the latest analysis by the Progres Group.
The increased interest in employment among young people under the age of 26 is particularly evident in the largest cities, such as Warsaw, Krakow, Poznań, Łódź, Wrocław, and Gdańsk, where the number of job applications has increased by 24 percent (Progres Group data). The activity of students in finding jobs and earning extra income is also confirmed by the analysis of the SeniorApp platform, which noticed a 27% increase in the number of people under the age of 26 offering casual services, such as house cleaning, shopping, or dog walking. From September 2023 to September 2024, their number significantly increased, and the interest in making extra money is especially visible not only during the holidays but also at the beginning of the academic year and before the holidays.
According to calculations by the Progres Group and SeniorApp, thanks to their activity in the labor market, students earn from several hundred to several thousand zlotys a month, depending on the number of hours dedicated to performing professional duties. These estimates are also confirmed by the March report “Student at Work” from the Career Program of the Polish Business Council. It turns out that every third student in Poland earns between four and six thousand zlotys a month. This is 16.5 percent more than a year earlier. At the same time, the number of students who earn between 2,000 and 4,000 zlotys net has decreased. When asked how much they would like to earn, every third surveyed student said over 10,000 zlotys on hand. A year earlier, every fourth respondent gave such an answer.
In many cases, they earn less than they expect. They often start with the minimum wage, which currently amounts to 4432 zlotys gross. For persons under the age of 26, this means a salary of 3480.19 zlotys net (with sickness insurance) and 3578.99 zlotys net (without sickness insurance). This is almost as much as students’ expenses. They need an average of 3951.56 zlotys a month (IX edition of the “Student’s Wallet” report of the Warsaw Institute of Banking and the Association of Polish Banks). According to the WIB and ZBP report data, over the last six years, the average expenditure of a student has increased by over 2000 zlotys (from 1904.49 zlotys in 2018).
“Many companies are eager to welcome to their team people who are learning and taking their first steps on the professional path. Especially when the company is struggling with the noticeable problem of staff shortages. Then every candidate willing to take up work is worth their weight in gold, even if it means hiring on a part-time basis and having to provide the studying person with a flexible schedule,” says Andrzej Vilk, head of employment legalization at the Progres Group. “The awareness of young people is growing, who pay attention to conditions and the legality of employment. They do not want to end up in the grey zone and work in the black,” he adds.
Large pool of potential candidates from Poland and abroad
As reported by the Central Examination Commission, a total of 247,127 high school graduates took their final exams in 2024. 89.3% of them, 220,658 individuals, passed and many of these people continue their education, but also start working simultaneously to support themselves. In 2023/24, about 1.245 million students studied at domestic universities, which is about 21,500 more (1.8 percent) than in the previous academic year, including 107,000 foreign students (Central Statistical Office’s report “Higher education in the academic year 2023/2024”). Most of the students (63.5 percent, i.e. 790,4 thousand individuals) attended full-time classes, and 454.7 thousand studied part-time.
There is also an increase in the number of foreigners studying in Poland, who simultaneously take up employment. Over the past year, the Progres Group recorded a 14 percent increase in the number of foreigners combining education with temporary work. In the 2023/24 academic year, Poland’s higher education offer was used by 107.1 thousand foreigners. The most numerous group were students from Ukraine (46.2 thousand, i.e. 43.1 percent of all foreigners), from Belarus (12.7 thousand – 11.8 percent), and from Turkey (4.8 thousand – 4.4 percent). Full-time studies were taken up by 93.2 thousand foreigners (87.0 percent). Almost one-third of all foreigners (32.8 thousand) chose universities in the Mazowieckie province.
“Foreigners, in order to be able to study and work in Poland, have to meet certain visa conditions, which include presenting documents about acceptance to studies and confirmation of having sufficient financial means to cover the costs of living and return travel to the country of origin or residence,” says Andrzej Vilk, head of employment legalization at the Progres Group. “The amount of required financial means to cover travel costs depends on the country of origin of the student. If it borders Poland, it is 200 zlotys. For EU countries that are not neighboring Poland, this amount is 500 zlotys. The most – 2500 zlotys – must have travelers from countries not belonging to the European Union and not neighboring Poland. Moreover, this person should have funds to cover living costs and a minimum of 776 zlotys for each month of stay. This means a significant expenditure for young people, so it is not surprising that they look for work immediately after arrival, which will allow them to receive education,” concludes Vilk.
Source: https://managerplus.pl/dyplom-kosztuje-coraz-wiecej-studentow-w-polsce-laczy-prace-z-edukacja-wzrost-o-18-proc-rok-do-roku-99263
