Which Sectors in Poland Recorded the Highest Employment Growth in 2025
From January to September 2025, the leaders in employment growth rates in Poland were companies operating in logistics and warehousing, as well as enterprises engaged in the production of military transport, food products, and servicing the HoReCa sector.
This is reported by AgroReview
Logistics and Warehousing Remain the Driving Force of the Labor Market
The logistics sector demonstrated the highest increase in the number of employed compared to the same period last year — up by 4.7%. Despite a slight decline in July (down 0.5% from June), this trend did not become systemic. In September, the industry employed 5.6% more people than a year earlier.
Transport Manufacturing, Food Industry, and HoReCa Show Steady Growth
Companies specializing in the production of water, air, rail, and military transport, as well as other transport equipment, increased their workforce by 2.5% over nine months, and by 3.5% year-on-year. Experts attribute this to active state defense investments and large-scale infrastructure projects.
The HoReCa sector also showed positive dynamics — the number of employees increased by 1.9% year-on-year. In the food industry, employment remained stable at 399,000 during the third quarter; however, compared to 2024, there was a growth of 1.8%.
The share of employees engaged in food production in the overall structure of the manufacturing industry is nearly 17%. As a result, the overall decline in employment in the industry appears less dramatic — down 0.5% in September compared to September 2024 and down 0.6% over nine months. Experts note that the rate of decline here is lower than the average across businesses, which may be related to a revival in industrial sales in September.
“Logistics maintains its leadership. The most noticeable increase in employment was recorded in the logistics sector — up 4.7% compared to the same period in 2024. In July, there was a brief decline of 0.5% from June; however, it did not become a trend. In September, the number of employees in the sector increased by 5.6% year-on-year.”
Machinery, Construction, and Trade Face Challenges
The largest decline in employment is recorded in the machinery sector. In the production of electrical appliances, the number of employees decreased by 5.2%, in the production of machinery and equipment — by 3.5%, and in the automotive industry — by 1.1%. The furniture manufacturing segment also shows a decline — down 0.6%.
The construction sector is experiencing a downturn: year-on-year, employment decreased by 0.4%, and over nine months — by 0.6%. In the retail sector, there is an acceleration in job losses: down 0.3% in September compared to August and down 0.7% year-on-year. The number of employed decreased by 2,000 — to 734,000. Despite a 6.4% increase in retail turnover year-on-year, experts explain this by the low base effect of the previous year, when a 3% drop in sales was recorded. In September 2025, compared to August, sales fell by 2.7%, which negatively impacted the level of employment.
Industry Shows Sales Growth, but Not Employment
According to official data, in September 2025, the volume of industrial product sales in Poland increased by 7.4% compared to the same month last year. Over nine months, the figure rose by 1.8%, indicating an acceleration in sales rates. However, according to experts, employers have not yet responded to these changes with active job creation. The reason may be the slower-than-expected recovery of domestic and external demand, which negatively affects business investment activity and the state of the labor market.