According to data from Statistics Poland, the level of unemployment in Poland is quite low, and there are many indications that the labor market situation has stabilized. However, not everywhere and not in every profession. There are still many professions in which many candidates with very similar qualifications apply for the same position. On the other hand, there are also professions which have a shortage of job candidates. This can be viewed as an opportunity to rethink your own career. In what way?

Read on and you will find out:

• What the level of unemployment in Poland is,
• Which professions in Poland are in short supply,
• Why it is worth constantly developing your skills.

The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine left its mark on the Polish economy. Despite this, the labor market seemed immune to the downturn. According to an analysis of Statistics Poland data on the registered unemployment rate from 1990 to 2024, May 2023 saw our country’s unemployment level falling to its lowest since the early 1990s. In annual terms, the unemployment level was also at a record low. According to projections by the European Commission, the unemployment rate in Poland will be 2.8 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, the average estimated level across the European Union is 6 percent. All indications are that in 2024, this favorable situation will continue, and it will also be supported by the economic recovery announced by experts.

Deficit occupations in Poland

Thanks to a study conducted since 2016 by the Regional Labor Office in Kraków forf the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, we know exactly what the labor market situation is like across the country and in specific professions. “Occupation Barometer” contains an analysis devoted to the professions in Poland which have labour deficits, are balanced, or  have a surplus. 

From this year’s “Barometer” we learn that in 2024, Poland has the most number of balanced professions, several deficit professions and no surplus professions:

• 29 deficit occupations (more job offers than candidates),
• 139 balanced occupations (the number of job offers is close to the number of candidates),
• 0 surplus occupations (the number of candidates is greater than the number of job offers).

In many respects, the group of deficit occupations is of greatest interest. First of all, this is because people who are looking for a job, thinking about re-branding or just considering which career to choose can take the data from the “Occupation Barometer” as a good guide. For potential candidates, there is no more favorable situation than one in which they dictate the terms, as employers are ready to offer a lot to the best specialists in a given field. In 2024, the most sought-after candidates for jobs are ine:

• construction,
• medical and nursing fields,
• education,
• manufacturing and processing,
• transportation, shipping, logistics (TSL).

The lack of a sufficient number of candidates is not always the only reason for staffing deficits in an industry. As the survey data shows, two other factors are equally important:

• candidates have inadequate qualifications,
• candidates are reluctant to take up employment due to low wages or difficult working conditions.

Therefore, when considering one’s career, it is worth taking into account not only whether there is a shortage of jobs in a particular profession, but also the average level of earnings, as well as whether our individual predispositions will allow us to work under certain conditions. Some professions fall into the group of having permanently scarce job candidates and include:

• carpenters and construction carpenters,
• roofers and construction sheet metal workers,
• bus drivers,
• truck and tractor drivers,
• machine tool operators,
• nurses and midwives,
• independent accountants,
• welders.

Upgrading skills at a premium

As already mentioned, one of the main reasons for staffing shortages in some industries is that candidates are underqualified or inadequately qualified. This means that specialists in certain fields are all the more valuable. In order to gain such a secure position in the labor market, it is necessary to constantly improve one’s qualifications. Those who take into account market conditions and choose their profession or think about changing it from this angle, must first focus on acquiring the specific skills that will set them apart from others. 

Deficit occupations in Poland are often very specialized professions that require a great deal of preparation and the constant updating of knowledge or skills, such as physician, caregiver for the elderly or carpenter. In these cases, one’s initial graduation from school or college is not enough. The practice of such professions involves continuous further training. However, becoming qualified to work in one of these professions can ensure stable employment and reduce fears in the face of competition.

Without planning one’s educational and professional career, one’s chances of success in the labor market diminish. Awareness of one’s life goals, aptitudes, aspirations, as well as the individual resources one has, should always be the starting point for career planning. In addition to the “idea of self”, resulting from a self-assessment of skills, it is also important to take into account the realities of the labor market. Responding to employers’ requirements – in terms of specific professions, qualifications or microcredentials – significantly increases our employability, comments Slawomir Szymczak, chief expert on designing digital solutions for skills development in the project ”Microcredentials – piloting a new solution to support lifelong learning”. 

Sources:

1. Occupation Barometer 2024, https://barometrzawodow.pl/forecast-card-zip/2024/report_pl/raport_ogolnopolski_2024.pdf.
2. Registered unemployment 1st-4th quarter 2023, file:///C:/Users/ibe-3057/Downloads/informacja_statystyczna__bezrobocie_rejestrowane_1-4_kwartal_2023_r..pdf.
3. Registered unemployment rate from 1990 to 2024 https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/rynek-pracy/bezrobocie-rejestrowane/stopa-bezrobocia-rejestrowanego-w-latach-1990-2024,4,1.html.