Poland’s employment landscape is changing rapidly. Despite a growing number of job offers, the pace of technological change—including the development of artificial intelligence—and the mounting problem of burnout are fueling a sense of uncertainty among employees. The findings show clearly that employers must take a comprehensive approach: invest in digital skills, safeguard employee wellbeing, and build trust within teams. Companies that fail to do so risk losing talent and engagement in an era of steadily rising market demands.
For the fifteenth time, Antal has analyzed the key trends, challenges, and employee expectations through its study of specialists’ and managers’ activity on the labor market. The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,626 specialists and managers in Poland, representing a wide range of industries.
Lower Satisfaction, More Opportunities: The Latest Labor-Market Data
The report points to a stabilization of current trends, such as smaller average pay rises, a 5 percentage-point drop in the share of people declaring an improvement in their professional situation over the past year (to 26%), and a declining willingness to relocate among specialists and managers.
Improvement in their professional situation was least often reported by specialists and managers in logistics (20%), sales (24%), and senior management (23%). By contrast, better working conditions were reported more frequently by marketing professionals (31%), engineers (38%), and lawyers—fully half of respondents in this group.
The decline in the number of people declaring an improvement in their professional situation over the past year is partly driven by news of global layoffs at large corporations and persistent economic uncertainty. This is particularly true in industries most exposed to market volatility and cost pressure. At the same time, the development of innovative projects built on highly skilled specialist work is noteworthy—projects that may play a key role in shaping the future of Poland’s labor market, says Artur Skiba, CEO of Antal.
Today’s labor market remains dynamic—confirmed by an increase in the average number of recruitment invitations from three to five, and more frequent participation of candidates in such processes. At the same time, only one-third of respondents say they are actively looking for a new job, while 54% received a pay rise over the past year (21% up to 5%, 27% between 6% and 20%, and 6% above 20%).
IT Leads, Administration Lags: Growing Gaps Across Sectors
As trends stabilize, differences between labor-market sectors are becoming more pronounced. Specialists and managers in IT receive the most invitations to recruitment processes (an average of 12), while the fewest offers go to administrative staff (2) and—this year—lawyers. For the first time, a clearly more uncertain situation is also emerging among marketing and logistics professionals.
As in the previous edition of the study, a gender gap persists: women received an average of four recruitment invitations, while men received six.
This is also reflected in the conclusions of the latest Women in Finance report prepared by Antal, CFA Society Poland, Bank BPH, and IZFiA. The report shows that women are much more likely than men to perceive limited promotion opportunities, higher employment uncertainty, widening pay gaps, and increasing pressure to develop skills—whereas men more often declare that the economic situation has no impact on their careers.
Although the number of job offers is growing, many still reflect post-pandemic conditions that do not always match current candidate preferences. Fully remote roles are becoming less common, which forces greater flexibility from employees and shifts the balance in the employer–employee relationship, says Fabian Pietras, Director at Antal IT Services.
Differences are also visible in the size of average pay rises. While the share of employees receiving pay rises is lower than a year ago, in selected sectors the average increase grew—partly due to a higher proportion of pay rises above 20% (24% in engineering and 20% in IT among those whose salaries increased over the past year). The highest average pay rises were recorded in engineering and law (10% and 11%, respectively), and the lowest in administration, HR, and logistics (around 6%).
New technologies are driving the emergence of niche, highly specialized projects. Antal’s contractors support key initiatives, including in fintech, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and the defense industry. These initiatives also command the highest rates in the sectors mentioned, says Dominik Kalinowski, Director of Outsourcing at Antal.
Pay Matters Most, but Stability and Non-Financial Factors Are Increasingly Important
Although changing jobs is not a guaranteed path to higher earnings, half of respondents who made this move over the past year received a pay rise—confirming that it remains the most effective route to salary growth. At the same time, more than one-fifth of respondents accepted lower pay, showing that amid rising market uncertainty some employees are willing to trade higher income for employment stability and other non-financial factors.
Pay fell to third place among the most commonly cited reasons for changing jobs, behind poor management and an unfavorable workplace atmosphere. At the same time, compensation remains the core element of an attractive offer. Nearly three-quarters of respondents say that the level of pay is the single most important factor determining their interest in a new position. Among other key elements, respondents most often pointed to a stable employment form in the form of an employment contract (57%), the option to work remotely (53%), and a convenient location, which matters to half of respondents.
Skills Development and Mental Health: Balance as the Key to Effectiveness
As many as 80% of surveyed specialists and managers reported experiencing symptoms of burnout. More than 40% felt a deterioration in wellbeing over the past year (36% among men and 49% among women). One in five respondents experienced all three core signals of burnout cited by the World Health Organization (WHO): persistent exhaustion, negative emotions, and reduced professional effectiveness.
The results show a clear link between employee mental wellbeing and how they assess their professional situation. People whose mental health improved over the past year were far more likely to describe their labor-market situation as good (54%). Changing jobs during that period was associated with improved wellbeing for 42% of respondents. Wellbeing also shapes perceptions of future career prospects—62% of those reporting a decline in mental health described the year ahead as “uncertain.”
The link between mental health and the assessment of one’s professional situation is a real business challenge. Psychological wellbeing strengthens a sense of agency and influences readiness to take initiative, develop, and embrace change. Burnout often leads to reduced employee engagement long before any decision to leave appears on the horizon. For organizations, this creates the risk of so-called quiet quitting, which—while less visible than turnover—can weaken innovation and team effectiveness just as strongly, summarizes Karolina Korzeniewska, Strategic Client Advisor at Antal Business Consulting.
In this context, implementing artificial intelligence in the workplace becomes another factor affecting employee wellbeing. AI triggers both enthusiasm about its potential and concerns about uncertain change. A significant share of respondents (86%) want to develop their digital skills and see the opportunities associated with them (72%). At the same time, many experience organizational chaos (64%) and consider the support they receive to be insufficient, while also feeling that AI development has not always proceeded in a properly controlled way (36%). The findings show that specialists and managers recognize the technology’s potential, but need better preparation and stronger support in adapting to change.
