Something unprecedented is happening on the Polish labor market.

• "In regions with low unemployment, such as Mazovia, Greater Poland, or Silesia, companies often compete for the same employees. Sometimes they even poach each other's staff," points out Marcin Biernat.
• "Without people from Ukraine, and increasingly from Asia, many businesses simply wouldn't be able to operate. This is particularly true in the construction, transportation, hospitality, medical, and IT sectors," explains the director of the Voivodeship Labor Office in Katowice.
• In the Silesian Voivodeship alone, over EUR 700 million has been allocated from European funds for measures to activate the unemployed.

In May, unemployment in Poland fell below 800,000. This is the third consecutive month that the number of people registered with employment offices has declined. Experts are blunt: hiring a specialist takes longer than ever , and recruitment costs are rising.

"Unemployment drops in spring and summer are natural. Seasonal jobs in construction, agriculture, and transportation are starting, but it's possible we're dealing with a more permanent phenomenon. A full analysis after the summer holidays will tell us more," emphasizes Marcin Biernat, director of the Voivodeship Labor Office in Katowice.

Data from the National Bank of Poland shows that nationwide, the time it takes to find a specialist has lengthened by an average of 30 percent, and recruitment costs have increased by as much as 40 percent, depending on the industry. As Biernat emphasizes, however, the problem is not the same everywhere.

"In regions with low unemployment, such as Mazovia, Greater Poland, or Silesia, companies often compete for the same employees. Sometimes they even poach each other's staff. This forces additional investments : in training, improving qualifications, and sometimes even better salaries and benefits," he says.

"Without people from Ukraine, and increasingly also from Asia, many workplaces would simply not be able to operate"

According to Biernat , the increase in the minimum wage also had an impact on the current labor market. Some people decided not to register as unemployed because work became more profitable than living on benefits. Others fled into the informal economy.

"We see both trends. On the one hand, a positive end to professional inactivity, and on the other, circumvention of the system. In both cases, the effect is the same: the number of official job candidates is decreasing," notes the director of the Voivodeship Labor Office.

As a result, companies are increasingly relying on foreign workers .

"Without people from Ukraine, and increasingly from Asia, many businesses simply wouldn't be able to operate. This is particularly true in the construction, transportation, hospitality, medical, and IT sectors," Biernat explains.

Are employment offices changing their function?

As the director of the Voivodeship Employment Office in Katowice emphasizes, in the face of changes, public institutions such as labor offices are also looking for a new role.

"Today, these are no longer just places where benefits are paid out. We operate as a 'job center' that actively connects employers with candidates. We organize training, subsidize jobs, and support skill development," says Biernat, estimating that in the Silesian Voivodeship alone, over €700 million in European funds has been allocated for activation measures. The funds go towards, among other things, development vouchers, vocational courses, workplace equipment, and support for people from disadvantaged groups.

- Our role today also includes market analysis, consulting, participation in job fairs, showing companies where to look for candidates and how to adjust their expectations - he adds.