More than 70% of professionally active people declare that they are satisfied with their current job, while one in ten hold the opposite view. At the same time, 42% of employees report being overloaded with responsibilities. This shows that despite high job satisfaction, for a significant share of workers everyday professional life involves excessive workloads and pressure, according to Gi Group Holding’s “Labour Market Barometer 2026”.
Men, Older Workers and the Youngest Employees Are More Often Satisfied
The level of job satisfaction is not only remaining high, but is also gradually increasing. In 2024 and 2025, 68% of employees declared satisfaction with their current workplace, while in 2026 this figure rose to 70.9%. At the same time, the share of dissatisfied employees fell over the year from 13.1% to 9.7%.
Men assess their professional situation slightly more positively than women, at 73% compared with 69%. Higher levels of satisfaction are also reported by representatives of the oldest and youngest generations. Among people aged 55+, the share of satisfied employees is 77.8%, while among those aged up to 24 it is 77.3%. This marks a change compared with last year, when job satisfaction was declared mainly by people aged 25–54.
The highest share of positive assessments is recorded in trade, services and the public sector, at over 70%. Manufacturing, as well as transport and logistics, are sectors where respondents less often declare satisfaction with their current job. Nevertheless, the share remains high: 66.4% in manufacturing and 67.3% in transport and logistics.
“The increase in job satisfaction compared with last year is visible in services and manufacturing, although in the latter sector the share of strongly positive assessments has decreased. A stable level of satisfaction is maintained in trade. By contrast, a deterioration in sentiment was recorded in transport and logistics and, to a greater extent, in the public sector,” says Grzegorz Gojny, Operations Director at Gi Group Holding.
Job satisfaction is more often indicated by people in managerial positions, at 82.6%, as well as senior and junior specialists, at 73%. They are followed by manual workers, at 68.6%. Lower-level employees mention job satisfaction least often, although the share of satisfied workers in this group has increased significantly — from 55.3% last year to 61.6% currently.
Job satisfaction rises with income. The best results are seen among those earning PLN 7,000–9,999, where as many as 80.7% are satisfied, followed by those earning PLN 10,000 or more, at 76.9%, and PLN 5,000–6,999, at 77.1%. The lowest level of satisfaction is visible among people earning up to PLN 3,999, at 61.9%.
“The persistently high level of job satisfaction may be the result of companies paying greater attention to working conditions and employee wellbeing, as well as development and promotion opportunities. The wage growth seen over the past two years is also significant. It is also worth paying attention to the uncertain economic situation and companies’ caution in increasing employment. Poles are aware of the complexity and uncertainty of these conditions, which may additionally influence how they perceive their current job,” notes Grzegorz Gojny, Operations Director at Gi Group.
Overload with Responsibilities
More than 42% of employees admit that they feel overloaded with professional responsibilities. Although 48.3% of respondents do not perceive this problem, the scale of the phenomenon remains high and shows that an excess of tasks is a real challenge for a large share of employees.
The feeling of overload increases with the level of position held. It is reported by 47.8% of people in managerial roles and 45.9% of senior specialists, while among manual workers the figure is 38%. A similar pattern is visible in relation to income level: the higher the earnings, the greater the share of people reporting overload.
Gi Group Holding’s “Labour Market Barometer 2026” shows that the problem is most visible in transport and logistics, where nearly 59% of employees report an excess of responsibilities. The next sectors are the public sector, at 46.3%, and trade, at 45.5%.
The feeling of overload is clearly more common among employees who have noticed an increase in requirements related to the pace and efficiency of work in the recent period. In this group, as many as 66.2% of respondents feel overloaded, compared with 23.6% among those who do not notice any change in requirements.
“Fatigue and stress have become clear signals of problems with work organisation in companies. This is no longer a matter of individual resilience, but of how teams are planned and staffed. A significant share of enterprises today operate under constant pressure, which in the short term makes it possible to maintain results, but in the longer term leads to a decline in efficiency and an increase in staff turnover. From an HR perspective, this means the need to respond quickly to signs of overload, plan work better and realistically adjust the scope of tasks. Support in developing skills that enable better functioning in a changing work environment is becoming increasingly important,” explains Ewa Michalska, Operations Director at Grafton Recruitment.
The Effects of Overload
The effects of overload go beyond temporary discomfort. The most frequently indicated consequences are increased stress and fatigue, mentioned by 56.1%, and difficulties maintaining a work-life balance, at 33.5%. Overload also has consequences that are important from a company’s perspective: 27.2% of respondents think more often about changing employer, 20.9% declare a decline in the pace or efficiency of their work, and 19.2% more often notice errors or a decrease in the quality of their work.
“In many organisations, we are currently observing a growing burden on teams, which does not always result from an increase in the number of tasks, but from their complexity and the pace of work. The way priorities are managed and the ability to limit parallel processes that increase operational pressure are becoming increasingly important. In practice, it is the quality of work organisation and leadership style that may prove decisive. Companies that consciously manage team workloads are better able to maintain engagement and employment stability,” concludes Paweł Prociak, Managing Director at Wyser Executive Search.
About the Report
The “Labour Market Barometer 2026” is the 20th edition of a report prepared since 2014. It was developed by experts from Gi Group Holding based on research conducted by the market and opinion research agency SW Research. The employer survey was carried out using the CATI method between 25 February and 9 March 2026, while the employee survey was conducted using the CAWI method between 23 February and 3 March 2026. The report’s partners are the Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, the Polish HR Forum and the Lewiatan Confederation.
Source: Managerplus.pl
