Ukrainians in Poland Are Finding It Harder to Get a Job — Gremi Personal Experts Explain Why

Ukrainians in Poland Are Finding It Harder to Get a Job — Gremi Personal Experts Explain Why

In recent months, Ukrainians looking for work in Poland have been running into difficulties more and more often. Polish employers are reviewing candidates more carefully, and the hiring process itself is taking longer.

This was shared by Iryna Syerova, Business Development Director at the international recruitment company Gremi Personal. According to her, the number of CVs per vacancy has doubled. While this trend used to affect mainly blue-collar professions, it has now spread to other specialists as well.

Labour market slowdown trends are being observed across Europe. Despite this, the situation on the Polish labour market remains more stable, though finding a job now takes longer — on average 50 to 80 days, and sometimes up to 100.

Overall Labour Market Situation

As of the end of May, the number of unemployed people in Poland reached 857,300 — 26,600 more than in July and 85,000 more than a year ago. This is most pronounced among young people aged 18–24, where the unemployment rate stands at 11.3%.

Similar processes are taking place in other EU countries as well. In the first quarter of 2025, the vacancy rate in the eurozone fell from 2.9% to 2.4%, and countries such as Austria, Greece, Sweden and Germany have seen the sharpest declines in recent years.

What This Means for Candidates

According to Gremi Personal's assessment, the current situation has several implications for workers:

Job searches may take more time. Companies are selecting candidates more carefully, so patience is needed.

Fewer opportunities to change jobs. Switching employers is now more difficult.

Lower chances of a pay rise. Businesses are more likely to preserve existing resources than to expand them.

It is worth preparing more thoroughly for interviews. More stages in the selection process require a higher level of candidate readiness.

"For workers, this may mean fewer opportunities to change jobs, a weaker negotiating position on salary, and a longer path to new employment after being let go. Nevertheless, Polish companies are showing strategic resilience — they are not rushing to cut jobs, but are instead optimising their recruitment processes and adapting to the new economic conditions," explains Iryna Syerova.

Why Companies Have Become More Cautious

Among the main reasons for the labour market "cooling down," experts point to:

• geopolitical uncertainty;
• a slowdown in industrial production in the EU;
• growing competition from Chinese and American companies.

The labour market in Poland has become more demanding, but remains stable and open to Ukrainians. Therefore, what matters most right now for job seekers is — to stay flexible, develop professional skills, and approach CV writing and job interviews with care.