Saturday, 20 June 2026
Poland’s online job market continued to recover in May, with the Barometr Ofert Pracy (Job Offers Barometer) recording its third increase of 2026 and the second consecutive monthly rise. The index, which tracks changes in the number of online job advertisements, climbed to 258.2 points in May from 253.5 points in April, returning to approximately the same level recorded a year earlier.
According to the report prepared by the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów (WSIiZ) and the Bureau for Investments and Economic Cycles (BIEC), job postings have been recovering since February following several months of gradual decline.
After seasonal adjustments, the number of online vacancies increased across all Polish regions. The strongest monthly gains were recorded in the Podkarpackie, Lubuskie and Podlaskie voivodeships, while Opolskie saw only marginal growth.
Despite the improvement in recruitment activity, the labour market continues to show signs of weakness. Registered unemployment, excluding seasonal workers, rose by 0.1 percentage points in April to 6.0%. The number of unemployed people has increased for three consecutive months and reached its highest level since June 2021.
Researchers caution that the recent rise in vacancies should be interpreted carefully. The labour market indicator combining unemployment and vacancy trends remains in a zone associated with labour market slowdown, although it is gradually moving toward recovery territory. Analysts note that similar increases in job advertisements have occurred in previous years without developing into sustained growth trends.
The report also suggests that the modest increase in vacancies relative to the rise in unemployment could indicate that employers are replacing existing staff rather than significantly expanding their workforces.
Sector data showed improving demand for workers with science and engineering qualifications. Construction, engineering and IT-related occupations recorded some of the strongest monthly increases. The number of vacancies in construction has now exceeded levels seen before the recent correction and stands at its highest point since mid-2022. Demand for programmers and IT system administrators also improved after a period of decline.
The services sector also recorded growth in job advertisements, particularly in education, logistics and media-related occupations. In logistics, vacancies have been increasing steadily since December, although overall demand remains below historical levels. Tourism continued its recovery, with most of the declines recorded last year now reversed.
In contrast, some white-collar occupations remain under pressure. Banking, call centre services and real estate-related positions continue to experience declining long-term demand, although early signs of improvement have emerged in human resources, finance and office administration roles.
The report concludes that while hiring activity has strengthened in recent months, Poland’s labour market has yet to establish a clear and sustained growth trend, with rising unemployment continuing to weigh on the outlook.
