According to the latest data from Statistics Poland (GUS), the average gross monthly salary in the enterprise sector reached 8,750.34 PLN in September 2025, an increase of 7.5% year-on-year. At the same time, average employment fell by 0.8%, to 6.41 million full-time positions. This marks yet another month in which wage growth significantly outpaces job growth.
In real terms — after adjusting for inflation — employees now enjoy approximately 3–4% higher purchasing power than a year ago. Consumer sentiment data confirms the trend: more households are reporting the ability to save money regularly for the first time since the erosion of savings during the inflation shock of 2021–2023.
Wages up, headcount flat
The structural trend observed over the past year and a half continues:
companies are raising salaries, but not expanding employment.
The drop in headcount is not due to mass layoffs, but rather a consequence of slowed recruitment and the expiration of temporary contracts. Businesses — particularly in manufacturing and traditional services — are operating with greater caution than during the 2021–2023 boom.
- Good news for workers — rising wages and improved buying power
- Rising cost pressure for businesses — especially those with low operating margins
- Mixed signal for the economy — consumption may be approaching its peak strength
Savings appetite is returning
Economists highlight a crucial shift: more Poles report being able to set aside savings. This indicates a rebuilding of financial confidence, but also potentially marks the start of a transition from spending to saving, which could cool consumption in 2026.
If households begin to reallocate more income from consumption toward savings, it could slow the key driver of GDP growth in recent quarters.
The stress threshold is approaching
Wage growth of 7–8% year-on-year remains costly for firms, particularly given sluggish productivity growth. Employers are increasingly signaling that the room for further pay rises is shrinking — especially in low-margin sectors.
September 2025: a turning-point signal
The latest data confirms that the Polish labour market is entering a phase of controlled cooling:
- Employment is edging down
- Wages are still rising steadily
- Households are shifting from “survival mode” to “building financial buffers”
The key question for the coming months is how long this delicate balance can be maintained — before employers pull back more aggressively, or consumers begin to reduce spending more visibly.
