In the final quarter of the year, companies in Poland are reporting a growing demand for temporary workers. The autumn and holiday shopping season marks a peak period for industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and retail. According to research conducted by the on-demand employment agency Tikrow, seven out of ten employers plan to increase their hiring of temporary workers in the coming months. At Amazon alone, this will mean the recruitment of more than 8,500 seasonal employees.
Flexible employment on the rise
Poland’s labor market increasingly relies on flexible forms of employment. On one hand, employers face a shortage of labor and high employee turnover; on the other, they need the ability to respond quickly to fluctuations in demand—particularly in industrial and logistics sectors.
“Temporary employment has been present in Poland for about 20 years and continues to strongly support Polish employers. Currently, we employ over 700,000 people in this form. A large portion of them are third-country nationals—according to the latest data from the ministry, they make up about half of all temporary workers in Poland. The average employment duration is just under three months, which means these workers are typically hired during periods of significant fluctuation in labor demand across various sectors,”
said Agnieszka Zielińska, Director of the Polish HR Forum, in an interview with Newseria.
According to the report “HR Services Market 2024” by the Polish HR Forum, around 680,000 people were employed under temporary contracts in 2023—slightly fewer than in the previous year. Over half of them were foreigners. Over the last decade, the number of foreigners legally employed in Poland and contributing to the social security system has increased more than tenfold. According to data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), by the end of 2024 there were almost 1.193 million such individuals insured.
A report from the Polish Economic Institute indicates that migrants could play a key role in mitigating the effects of demographic change: by 2035, the number of working people in Poland is expected to decline by 12.6%, meaning a loss of around 3.8 million workers, with only 1.7 million new entrants to the labor force.
“The number of temporary workers is not growing. It’s not a sector with significant potential for expansion right now, mainly because we simply have fewer people available for work due to demographic trends. The pool of candidates is shrinking every year, which is why we increasingly look to foreign nationals to support our companies, agencies, and employers,”
added Zielińska.
Employers turn to temporary work before the holidays
In the second half of 2025, Polish companies are increasingly using flexible employment to handle rising pre-holiday demand. According to Tikrow’s research, 70% of employers plan to hire temporary workers in the last quarter of 2025. The most frequently cited reasons are seasonal growth in orders (39%), rising costs of permanent employment (39%), and difficulties in recruiting manual or non-specialist workers (32%).
“Most temporary workers are employed in the industrial sector—largely in simple, basic jobs that don’t require high qualifications. Roughly 65% of all temporary employees work in industry. Many are in the automotive sector, which actually gave rise to temporary employment in Poland. But increasingly, service-sector companies, shared service centers, and call centers are also relying on temporary staff,”
said Zielińska.
Retail (71%) and logistics (59%) are also experiencing higher demand for temporary workers in the fourth quarter. One prominent example is Amazon, which significantly increases staffing during the peak season.
Amazon to hire 8,500 seasonal workers in Poland
“Due to the autumn-winter shopping peak and the increased demand for order fulfillment from Amazon.pl, we plan to hire more than 8,500 seasonal workers across Poland through temporary employment agencies,”
announced Marcin Rusnaczenko, General Manager of Amazon’s distribution center in Świebodzin.
This year’s recruitment drive will cover all Amazon logistics centers in Poland, but the largest needs are in Sady near Poznań (about 2,300 positions), Bielany Wrocławskie (over 2,500), and Sosnowiec, Gliwice, and Gorzyczki (a combined total of over 2,600).
“Anyone can apply for seasonal positions at Amazon via a temporary employment agency, even without previous logistics experience. We provide a wide range of training and employee support from the very first day,”
explained Rusnaczenko.
He emphasized that seasonal employment offers an opportunity to gain new qualifications and, for many, a chance to build a longer-term career with the company after the holiday season.
Higher wages and benefits for Amazon employees
“Temporary agency workers joining Amazon teams can expect an hourly rate of just over PLN 36 gross, including an attendance bonus, along with a wide package of benefits.
Starting October 1, 2025, the company has also introduced higher pay for employees hired directly by Amazon. Entry-level workers at 11 Amazon logistics centers in Poland will now earn between PLN 36 and PLN 39 gross per hour, including the attendance bonus.
Additionally, both seasonal and permanent employees are eligible for a one-time special payment of up to PLN 2,000 gross for work during the 2025 holiday peak,”
added Rusnaczenko.
Seasonal workers, like permanent staff, also have access to Amazon’s non-wage benefit package.
“The key benefits include private medical care, life insurance, and an employee assistance program,” said Rusnaczenko. “Employees can also use free transportation to and from work on selected routes and receive discounts on meals.
Importantly, under the ‘Career Choice’ program for regular employees, Amazon increased its annual education allowance from PLN 6,500 to PLN 8,200 as of August 2025. The company now covers 100% of tuition costs upfront, eliminating the previous 5% co-payment and the four-year budget limit. This makes the program more flexible and supportive of professional development from day one.”
Inclusion initiatives for people with disabilities
Alongside seasonal hiring, Amazon is also recruiting managers, team leaders, technical staff, health and safety specialists, and IT personnel. Additionally, the company continues its “MigaMy” project, which helps deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals find employment in order-picking and packaging departments. The number of available positions in this initiative increased by 60 this year, reaching a total of 220.
“Employees with hearing impairments receive the assistance of a Polish Sign Language interpreter from the very start of the process—from recruitment and initial training to health and safety instruction and on-the-job support,”
said Rusnaczenko.
In summary, the growing demand for temporary labor reflects both Poland’s structural labor shortages and the seasonal surge in activity across key industries. For thousands of workers—Polish and foreign alike—the end of the year brings not only additional employment opportunities but also the potential for new skills, experience, and long-term career paths.
