Report: Ukrainian workers predominantly employed in Polish production and construction sectors

The production and construction sectors continue to be the main employers of Ukrainian workers in Poland, employing 41% and 24% respectively, according to the latest findings from the Polish Economic Institute (PIE). The data, published in PIE’s “Economic Week,” reveals that two-thirds of foreigners registered for pension insurance in Poland are Ukrainian, underscoring their strong presence in the Polish workforce.

The study indicates that, while Ukrainians contribute significantly to various sectors, construction faced notable shifts in Ukrainian workforce availability after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. About 9% of construction companies reported ceasing to hire Ukrainian workers due to the conflict, and Ukrainians currently have lower employment representation in retail (16%), transport and logistics (17%), and services (18%).

Compared to October 2022, the overall share of Ukrainian workers in Poland has seen a slight decline, falling by 0.3 percentage points by October 2024. The service and transport sectors experienced the sharpest decreases in Ukrainian employment, with drops of 10 and 7 percentage points respectively.

Data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) shows that Ukrainians make up around 780,000 of the foreigners registered for retirement and disability insurance in Poland, including employees, those under contracts, and self-employed individuals. Their roles are most concentrated in administration and support services (20%) and industrial processing (19%), followed closely by construction (14%), transport and warehousing (12%), and retail (9%).

Over the past two years, the total number of Ukrainians registered with ZUS for pension insurance has grown by approximately 35,000, PIE noted, reflecting their continued importance in the Polish labor market despite recent challenges.

Source: PIE and ISBNews