The Polish labor market is entering a new phase of transformation. Workers from Asia and South America are playing an increasingly important role and, according to observations by experts at Smart Solutions HR, stand out for their higher loyalty and lower turnover compared with other groups of foreign workers. In the face of growing labor shortages and high employee turnover, they are becoming the foundation of long-term operational stability for many companies. This is also a sign that Poland may gradually open up to additional nationalities that currently have only a marginal presence in the labor market but could play an important role in filling workforce gaps in the future.
Although Ukrainians still dominate, countries from South and Southeast Asia as well as Latin America are now playing an increasingly important role in the Polish labor market. These regions have strong migration fundamentals — large populations of working-age people, a surplus labor force, and limited employment opportunities in their domestic markets. As a result, labor migration from these countries is often more permanent and long-term in nature, creating an opportunity to support the Polish labor market in a lasting way.
Foreign workers already account for a significant share of the total workforce in Poland, and their number continues to grow steadily. In May 2025, around 1.07 million people from abroad were working in Poland, up 4.4% year on year. The structure of employment and recruitment is clearly changing. According to the Smart Solutions HR report Foreigners in the Polish Labor Market 2025: How Business Assesses Cooperation with Foreign Workers, alongside the still dominant nationalities, workers from South America are gaining importance, indicated by 17.1% of respondents, while workers from the Philippines and India were each indicated by 10.8%, and those from Nepal by 8.1%. This shows that new migration directions are no longer merely supplementary to the market, but are increasingly becoming a lasting element of companies’ workforce strategies.
“We are observing a clear geographic shift in the migration structure. More and more candidates from Asia and South America are treating Poland as a place for long-term employment rather than a temporary destination. From the employers’ perspective, this translates into greater stability and predictability of employment,” says Mateusz Zubik, Project Manager at Smart Solutions HR.
From the point of view of companies, this represents a significant qualitative change — new recruitment directions not only increase access to candidates, but above all provide a more stable and long-term labor supply, which may become one of the key pillars supporting business operations in the years ahead.
New Migration Directions
The growing importance of new migration directions is driven not only by the number of candidates, but above all by how well they respond to the needs of the Polish economy. As the Smart Solutions HR report shows, companies are increasingly turning to people from the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Colombia, primarily because of their availability, ease of adaptation, and professional experience. At the same time, employers give the highest marks to foreign workers for teamwork skills, productivity, and flexibility, while more than 70% of companies rate their work efficiency as good or very good.
In which areas do workers from these nationalities perform particularly well? In the case of Indian workers, competencies related to IT, engineering, design, and industry are especially important. Filipinos stand out for their experience in services, technical outsourcing, and ICT. Nepalese and Colombian workers, in turn, fit well into the growing demand for flexible candidates who can quickly adapt to new conditions and function effectively in operational teams — areas that are particularly valued by employers today.
“More and more often, the key issue is not only how many workers we can recruit, but what competencies they bring into the organization and how well those competencies match actual business needs. In the case of new migration directions, we see that candidates are not only filling labor shortages, but are increasingly supporting companies’ operational efficiency — especially in technical, manufacturing, and service-related areas. In addition, the high level of loyalty among workers from Asia and Latin America works in their favor. Turnover among them is often lower and employment stability is higher, due in part to the work legalization process, the greater geographic distance, and the very process of adapting to a new market. These factors make workers from these regions more likely to stay with an employer for longer. As a result, their role goes beyond short-term support and is beginning to take on a strategic dimension,” says Mateusz Zubik.
However, the potential of new recruitment directions does not end with the nationalities that are already more visible in the Polish labor market today. Experts at Smart Solutions HR point out that Poland could also open up more broadly to Brazil, Egypt, and Turkey. Brazil offers specialists in technology, engineering, and industry; Egypt has a workforce suited to light and heavy manufacturing; and Turkey may serve as a valuable source of personnel for construction, engineering, and skilled trades. These are directions that can not only help address quantitative labor shortages, but also strengthen process quality and the operational efficiency of companies.
Adaptive Fit
The high level of cultural compatibility among people from countries such as India, the Philippines, Colombia, and Brazil translates into faster onboarding and better alignment with European work standards. This is due, among other things, to organizational similarities such as functioning within hierarchical structures, experience working in quality-oriented environments, and a closeness to values related to individualism and results orientation.
Migrants from these regions understand procedures, health and safety rules, and organizational structures more quickly, which shortens the onboarding process and reduces the risk of errors at the early stage of employment. At the same time, they more easily accept formal workplace norms, which translates into greater stability and a lower tendency to change jobs.
“Workers from the Philippines, thanks to their experience in international service and technical sectors such as IT, call centers, ICT, and healthcare, are well prepared to work according to global standards and occupational health and safety rules. Their experience in cooperating with European and American companies supports smooth communication and rapid integration into teams. Our observations show that they feel comfortable in the Polish labor market, as the data also confirms. The report Foreigners in the Polish Labor Market 2025 indicates that they are the third-largest nationality group,” says Izabela Samulska-Ugorska, Business Development Manager at Smart Solutions HR. “Similarly, in the case of the fourth group — highly qualified specialists from India — we observe a strong ability to adapt to quality standards, operational processes, and technical requirements, especially in corporate environments.”
In practice, a high level of cultural adaptability means a shorter onboarding process, less resource involvement on the employer’s side, and greater employment stability resulting from a better fit with both the workplace and life in Poland.
Diversification as a Risk-Reduction Strategy
The change in migration directions fits into a broader trend toward building a more resilient labor market model. An approach based on diversifying sources of workforce recruitment is becoming increasingly important, rather than relying on one dominant direction. Excessive concentration on a single nationality group can become a strategic trap, especially in the context of regulatory changes, geopolitical tensions, and the shrinking migration potential of previously dominant recruitment sources.
“A multi-stream model, based on several parallel migration directions, not only allows companies to increase candidate availability, but above all reduces the risks associated with regulatory changes, geopolitical developments, or sudden outflows of workers from one region. In practice, this means greater operational flexibility and a faster ability to respond to changing market conditions,” says Izabela Samulska-Ugorska, Business Development Manager at Smart Solutions HR.
This approach stems not only from the desire to broaden the candidate base, but also from the real need to secure companies’ operational continuity. Greater diversification of nationalities is becoming one of the conditions for resilience in the employment system. The data contained in the report shows that this change is already underway — as companies open up to new nationalities, they are gradually reducing pressure on individual recruitment channels and better aligning their employment structure with the specifics of particular sectors and competency needs. Instead of becoming dependent on one direction, companies are building a more balanced and predictable workforce management model.
“Opening up to new nationalities is no longer a matter of experimentation, but of conscious risk management and building employment stability. The more diversified the candidate base, the more resilient a company becomes to sudden market, legislative, or geopolitical changes. Brazil, Egypt, and Turkey are directions worth considering not only because of worker availability, but also because they can genuinely expand recruitment opportunities for companies in sectors where labor pressure remains the highest,” Izabela Samulska-Ugorska concludes.
Sources: Smart Solutions HR report Foreigners in the Polish Labor Market 2025: How Business Assesses Cooperation with Foreign Workers, data from Statistics Poland (GUS) and the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
