From October to December, 32% of organisations in Poland plan to expand their teams, while 15% expect to reduce headcount. More than half of employers, 51%, plan no staffing changes in the final quarter of 2026. The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey shows the strongest hiring appetite in eastern Poland, while construction and real estate as well as industrial production are expected to offer the most opportunities.
According to ManpowerGroup, 32% of Polish employers plan new recruitment, 15% expect job cuts and 2% have not yet made staffing decisions. Poland’s net employment outlook stands at +18%, up 7 percentage points year on year and 2 points quarter on quarter.
‘After a strong start to the year and high hiring forecasts, the market entered a period of slight slowdown. In the final quarter it is moving into a phase of relative stabilisation,’ says Tomasz Walenczak, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Poland. ‘The share of employers planning job cuts has declined, while more companies intend to keep staffing levels unchanged. This points to greater stability and confidence in both strategy and market conditions.’
Employers planning reductions cite seasonal changes in demand, job optimisation and automation. Geopolitical and economic uncertainty is also influencing staffing decisions.
Eastern Poland leads hiring plans
Companies across Poland plan to expand teams between October and the end of December, but the strongest net employment outlook is in the East at +27%. The North follows at +25%, the North-West at +24% and the South-West at +22%. Employers in Central Poland report +17%, while the South records +7%.
‘Employers in the east, north and north-west are reporting the strongest recruitment outlook for autumn and early winter. These regions host major investment projects as well as logistics and warehouse hubs. The run-up to Christmas and Black Friday naturally creates additional demand for workers,’ Walenczak says.
Construction and real estate lead by sector
The strongest hiring outlook is in construction and real estate at +25%, followed by industry and raw materials at +24% and trade and logistics at +21%. Professional, scientific and technical services as well as hospitality, catering and tourism both stand at +16%.
Finance and insurance show a +14% outlook, technology and IT +12%, utilities and raw materials +11%, and the public sector, healthcare and social services +8%. Information and communications is the only sector expecting a net decline, at -6%.
Walenczak says strong demand in trade, logistics and industry is partly seasonal, while hiring in construction and real estate reflects the high volume of ongoing investment. Poland is simultaneously running infrastructure, energy, industrial and transport projects, generating sustained demand for specialists at a time of persistent talent shortages.
Growth remains the main reason for hiring
Polish companies say business expansion is the main reason for recruitment, cited by 54% of employers planning to hire. Creating new roles is mentioned by 30%, while 21% are replacing employees who have left.
Among employers planning layoffs, the most common reason is weaker demand for products or services, cited by 31%. Automation reducing the need for certain roles and the broader economic situation are each cited by 26%.
Companies planning no staffing changes most often say current headcount is sufficient to meet business goals, at 38%. Another 30% say maintaining current employment is the priority, while 26% point to stable market conditions.
Poland broadly in line with Europe
The net employment outlook for Europe stands at +20%, close to Poland’s +18%. Among neighbouring countries, the Czech Republic shows the strongest reading at +25%, Germany stands at +15%, while Slovakia is much weaker at +3%.
About the survey: The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey for Q4 2026 was conducted from 1 to 31 July 2026 among nearly 40,000 employers across 42 markets worldwide. In Poland, 525 employers participated.
