More than 1,400 job offers related to the defence sector and companies cooperating with the arms industry appeared on recruitment portals at the time when the SAFE programme was being finalised and Poland signed an agreement with the European Commission, according to data and analyses by Grupa Progres. The labour market reacted almost immediately to the launch of a multi-billion-euro investment programme in security and defence, and the scale of recruitment is expected to grow steadily in the coming months.
On 8 May, Poland became the first European Union country to sign a SAFE agreement with the European Commission. By 2030, almost EUR 44 billion is expected to flow into Poland, mainly in the form of low-interest loans intended for the development of defence systems, the Eastern Shield, critical infrastructure protection, air defence and technologies related to cybersecurity. It is estimated that around 90 percent of these funds will be directed to Polish enterprises.
“The labour market reacted immediately. Even before the SAFE agreement was officially signed, companies had already begun preparing to increase employment. In just one day, nearly 1,500 job offers related to the defence sector and cooperating industries appeared on recruitment portals. Today, we are already seeing a clear increase in the number of job offers in the defence sector and related industries,” says Magda Dąbrowska, CEO of Grupa Progres.
The scale of existing employment in the security and defence sector is illustrated, among other things, by data from Statistics Poland. As of the end of November 2025, nearly 8,900 people were employed in Poland in the production of weapons and ammunition alone, while more than 22,800 employees worked in the production of aircraft, spacecraft and similar machinery. Thousands more are employed in the production of military combat vehicles, with 1,548 workers, in the repair and maintenance of aircraft, with 5,599 employees, and in security systems services, with 15,755 workers. In total, employment in public administration and national defence already exceeds 1 million people, of whom more than 230,000 work directly in defence.
The sector is now entering another phase that will further intensify hiring. According to data and analyses by Grupa Progres, the greatest demand is currently for CNC operators, fitters, welders, electromechanics, automation specialists, logistics professionals, production machine programmers and cybersecurity specialists. Companies carrying out contracts for the defence sector are also looking for maintenance technicians, quality controllers, warehouse workers, production employees and people responsible for operating modern technological lines. An increasing number of job offers are also appearing in IT, data analysis, information system security and technologies related to drones and unmanned systems.
There is also strong demand for engineers responsible for the development of electronic systems, radar technologies, industrial automation and modern solutions for the defence industry. As further investments are launched, demand is growing for specialists involved in designing critical infrastructure, cybersecurity and implementing technologies used in border protection and state security systems.
“Recruitment is aimed both at experienced specialists and graduates of technical schools, vocational schools and universities. Companies are increasingly declaring their readiness to train new employees and finance vocational training, because the scale of planned investments means that the market is already experiencing a shortage of qualified staff,” emphasises Magda Dąbrowska, CEO of Grupa Progres.
According to a Deloitte report, by 2035 the Polish defence industry and the armed forces may need as many as 250,000 new employees. The scale of recruitment is already growing steadily. In the Polish Armaments Group alone, more than 200 job offers were available on the day the SAFE agreement was signed. Labour market data also shows growing interest in the security sector. In the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025 alone, more than 17,000 job offers related to uniformed services and security were submitted to the Central Job Offer Database. At the same time, more than 1,200 additional job advertisements related to the sector were published online. There is also a significant imbalance between the scale of market demand and the number of new candidates: the number of vocational education graduates prepared to work in this area amounted to only 175 people.
According to Magda Dąbrowska, such a large skills gap may encourage defence sector companies to invest even more intensively in training, onboarding programmes and recruitment from other branches of industry, especially manufacturing, automation, logistics and new technologies.
The development of the defence sector is also affecting wage levels. Production workers can currently expect salaries of around PLN 8,000 to PLN 11,000 gross per month, while experienced specialists employed on strategic projects earn more than PLN 14,000 gross. Even higher rates are offered to engineers and technical experts, whose monthly salaries often range from PLN 12,000 to as much as PLN 20,000 gross.
“The defence sector has the potential to become one of the best-paid areas of industry. Companies are now competing for employees not only with one another, but also with the aviation, automotive and new technology sectors. This is translating into faster wage growth and more attractive employment conditions,” stresses the CEO of Grupa Progres.
The launch of funds from the SAFE programme will affect not only the largest arms companies, but also hundreds of firms acting as subcontractors and industrial partners. This means employment growth also in transport, energy, infrastructure, IT and modern services for industry, according to analysts at Grupa Progres.
Source: CEO.com.pl
