Monday, 25 August 2025
Poland’s labor market continues to show signs of strain as wages rise and companies struggle to fill vacancies, particularly in logistics and manufacturing. According to data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and the Gi Pro 2025 salary report, the average gross salary in the enterprise sector has now exceeded PLN 8,900, while the median salary in the national economy is above PLN 6,800. At the same time, the logistics sector’s vacancy rate stands at 1.16%, underscoring the persistent difficulty employers face in maintaining operational continuity.
The Gi Pro 2025 report highlights ongoing challenges across industries. In logistics, 44% of companies said job candidates withdrew during the recruitment process, and 41% reported skill mismatches. Manufacturing firms most frequently cited excessive wage demands and difficult working conditions as key obstacles, with 36% pointing to these issues. Despite these barriers, demand for workers remains high. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, there were over 21,600 vacancies in manufacturing and more than 10,000 in logistics, with strong demand for machine operators, packers, warehouse staff, forklift operators, and fitters.
Employers are also reporting high turnover in entry-level positions, with some companies experiencing double-digit monthly rates. Seasonal workload peaks add further strain, and many businesses admit they cannot meet all orders. Despite this, 82% of surveyed manufacturing and logistics companies say they do not plan to expand permanent employment, citing economic uncertainty and the limited pool of available candidates.
Official statistics show wages rising rapidly, with GUS reporting a 9% year-on-year increase in June 2025. At the same time, employment in the enterprise sector fell by 0.8% year-on-year, suggesting that firms are unable to expand full-time headcount in proportion to their needs. The costs of absenteeism, recruitment, and onboarding are also increasing, leading some employers to question the sustainability of a traditional full-time hiring model.
“In many companies, the full-time model is no longer viable, not only financially but also operationally,” said Jakub Kizielewicz, CEO of the Opteamic Group, a process outsourcing provider. “Hiring permanent staff for seasonal or unpredictable tasks is increasingly seen as a risk. More companies are asking us to take over the process itself, deliver the results, and relieve them of managing daily operations.”
Process outsourcing differs from temporary staffing in that the service provider assumes responsibility for an entire operational process. This includes building team structures, managing supervision, ensuring quality control, and delivering results based on agreed performance metrics. The client does not manage individual workers but instead receives outcomes such as on-time deliveries or completed production runs.
This model is particularly attractive in industries with seasonal or project-based fluctuations, including logistics, contract manufacturing, food processing, and distribution. Companies adopting process outsourcing can achieve greater predictability and reduce the burden on internal teams, allowing management to focus on business development rather than day-to-day operations.
According to the Gi Pro 2025 salary report, firms are increasingly evaluating employment costs in a broader sense – not just wages, but also indirect expenses linked to turnover and inefficiencies. In this environment, models that prioritize flexibility, standardization, and accountability for results are expected to play a growing role.
