A sharp surge in wages, 1.3 million new jobs created thanks to AI, and at the same time a decline in employment in the enterprise sector – these are among the key phenomena discussed in the January edition of the cyclical report “Labour Market, Education, Competencies” published by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP). The latest edition of the publication also presents updated data on unemployment levels in Poland.
The report provides a comprehensive overview of the key trends shaping the labour market, education systems, and required skills in an era of rapid economic and technological change. It includes up-to-date statistical data, academic studies and expert analyses, as well as summaries of selected research, enabling a thorough understanding of the processes taking place in these areas.
According to the data cited in the publication, the situation on the Polish labour market remains better than in most EU countries. At the same time, unlike in many other Member States, the number of unemployed people in Poland is increasing. According to Eurostat, in December 2025 the unemployment rate in the European Union (EU-27) stood at 5.9% (down 0.1 percentage points month-on-month and unchanged year-on-year), while in the euro area (EU-20) it reached 6.2% (down 0.1 percentage points month-on-month and 0.1 percentage points year-on-year). In Poland, the unemployment rate amounted to 3.2% (unchanged month-on-month and up 0.4 percentage points year-on-year). Meanwhile, data from Statistics Poland (GUS) indicate that registered unemployment in Poland at the end of 2025 reached 5.7%. Compared with November 2025, it increased by 0.1 percentage points, and by 0.6 percentage points year-on-year.
Average monthly employment in the private sector is also declining. In December 2025, the average number of employees amounted to 6.41 million, down by 43,400 (0.7%) compared with the previous year. The report’s authors also note that the average gross monthly salary in the enterprise sector in December 2025 reached PLN 9,583.31. This represented an increase of 5.6% compared with the previous month and 8.6% year-on-year. It was another consecutive month of rising average wages, confirming the persistence of nearly double-digit wage growth dynamics. However, the possible impact of annual bonuses and performance-related payments on December wage levels should be taken into account, which may indicate a seasonal effect in the data.
AI as an Opportunity for the Young
Unemployment remains a challenge not only in Europe. Global employment levels in developed economies are still approximately 20% lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the number of applicants per vacancy is the highest since 2020, while the number of available job openings remains limited. According to the report’s authors, strong competition among economically active individuals makes it more difficult for young workers to build their professional careers. According to Eurostat, in December 2025 the unemployment rate among EU citizens under the age of 25 reached 14.7%, while in the euro area it stood at 14.3%. In Poland, youth unemployment amounted to 12.7%, placing the country below the EU average, similarly to the overall unemployment rate.
Young people with higher education are currently more exposed to the effects of automation than their less-educated peers, the report notes. This is because university graduates more often perform tasks that can be easily taken over by artificial intelligence, unlike skilled manual professions. According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), within five years of the emergence of new AI-related competencies, employment declines in occupations where technology replaces rather than supports human work. On average, the number of jobs in such areas falls by 3.6%. This phenomenon particularly affects office workers and young people who are just starting to build their careers.
The slowdown in employment growth is not solely a consequence of AI development. Data cited in the report from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph indicate that restrictive monetary policy and ongoing economic uncertainty have a greater impact on labour market conditions, negatively affecting companies’ willingness to increase hiring. At the same time, the development of artificial intelligence generates new jobs and creates specialized professions. Between 2023 and 2025, approximately 1.3 million AI-based jobs were created globally.
These data suggest that while automation indeed leads to the reduction of some traditional jobs, it simultaneously generates demand for new skills. For young people, this may represent an opportunity to specialize in AI-related fields. According to the IMF, Poland fits into the typical European model of demand for new skills, in which information technology competencies dominate, accounting for approximately 5–6% of all job offers. Consequently, supporting innovation and digitalisation, as well as transforming the economy toward more technologically advanced sectors, may enable better utilisation of the existing, yet underused, human capital potential.
The report was prepared as part of the non-competitive FERS project entitled “Development and Improvement of the System of Sectoral Skills Councils.”
The full report is available on the PARP website: Labour Market, Education, Competencies. Current Trends and Research Findings (January 2026) – PARP – SME Development Centre.
