Polish Labor Market – Professions Under Threat in the Coming Years

According to the International Monetary Fund’s assessment, the impact of artificial intelligence could lead to job losses for more than 5.5 million people in the next 5-10 years. Professions in Poland are undergoing dramatic transformation. Experts predict that by 2030, even 30% of current professions may be replaced by algorithms and robots. However, the situation is ambiguous. At the same time, employers are actively seeking specialists in shortage professions, and the demographic crisis is creating new opportunities in the labor market. Let’s examine which professions will disappear in Poland, which in-demand professions in Poland will remain relevant, and how work in Poland will change in the future.

Which Professions Will Disappear in Poland Due to Automation

Production automation in the Polish economy grew by 30% or more in 2020 alone. The growth began long before the pandemic: in 2019, the total robotization rate reached 14.7%, while the previous year the indicator was 11.4%. The largest growth was observed in the service sector at 65%, and the number of industrial robots increased by 13.6%. According to data from the Polish Institute of Economic Analysis, about 3.68 million workers in Poland are employed in twenty professions most susceptible to artificial intelligence influence.

Office and Administrative Specialties

Assistants, secretaries, office managers, and other workers whose duties involve routine organizational work are facing automated document management systems and digital assistants. Research shows that the secretary position has a 96% probability of automation. Administrative workers in government and local authorities are also among the professions at risk of disappearing, as many official matters can already be resolved online through electronic offices.

Financial Sector and Accounting

In the World Economic Forum’s 2025 ranking, accountants, accounting specialists, and payroll specialists ranked seventh among the fastest disappearing professions. Employment reduction of approximately 20% by 2030 is predicted. Companies are implementing robotic process automation systems for accounting, tax calculations, and record keeping. Accounting automation in Poland has become a necessity for modern companies, using automatic document processing technologies and predictive analytics.

Retail Trade and Cashiers

The cashier profession has a 97% probability of automation. Self-service checkouts have replaced thousands of cashiers, with the average receipt being approximately 25% higher compared to regular checkouts. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the popularization of contactless and online payments, reducing the need for cashiers.

Production Workers in Warehouses

Warehouse work is usually repetitive and physically demanding, making automation a particularly promising investment direction. Robots work with greater productivity and are less prone to errors. Six out of ten surveyed employers announced intentions to implement automation systems, although only 18% are confident about reducing staff numbers. Employees are becoming operators, controllers, or coordinators of automated lines.

Shortage Professions in Poland: Who Employers Are Looking For

In Poland, 23 professions are considered shortage professions, according to the Barometr Zawodów 2025 report. The staff shortage is most acutely felt in construction, education, healthcare, and transport-logistics sectors. Six specialties have consistently remained in demand since 2016: roofers and tinsmiths, bus drivers, truck and trailer drivers, nurses and midwives, self-employed accountants, and welders.

Construction and Skilled Labor

According to Credit Agricole BP data, Poland will lack 54.3 thousand construction workers in 2026. The highest demand is for structural installers, masons and plasterers, operators and mechanics of earthwork equipment. Truck and tractor drivers are lacking in 331 out of 380 counties. The shortage of electricians, electromechanics, and electrical installers is observed in 294 districts. The average welder salary is 6.7 thousand zloty gross, however specialists who can work with different TIG and MAG methods earn more than 10 thousand zloty gross. Roofers have remained on the shortage list for nine years, earning 8,000 zloty gross.

Medicine and Patient Care

The shortage of nurses has reached 156 thousand and may increase to 262 thousand by 2039. Doctors are lacking in 315 counties. There are 2.4 doctors per 1,000 residents, which is the worst result in the EU. Most medical institutions report the need for nurses (72% of hospitals) and doctors (68% of hospitals). Demand for social workers for elderly people and disabled individuals remains consistently high due to demographic changes.

Education and Childcare

Three weeks before the start of the 2025/2026 school year, Polish schools posted more than 20 thousand job offers. There was a shortage of 1.7 thousand kindergarten teachers and 2 thousand specialist teachers. In Warsaw, the deficit amounts to more than 3,500 specialists. Vocational subject teachers are lacking in 267 counties. Low salaries, difficult working conditions, and declining professional prestige are the main reasons for the crisis.

Transport and Logistics

Poland lacks about 120 thousand professional drivers. According to other estimates, the shortage reaches 200 thousand people. The average truck driver earnings reached 9,000 zloty net in 2025. More than half of drivers regularly consider changing jobs or completely leaving the profession. Warehouse workers are lacking in 213 districts, with an average salary of 6,050 zloty gross.

How Work in Poland Will Change in the Future

Demographic Crisis and Staff Shortage by 2035

The Polish Institute of Economics predicts that by 2035, more than 3.8 million employees will leave the labor market, while new influx will amount to only 1.7 million people. The missing 2.1 million will be partially replaced through labor automation and partially through attracting migrants. In 2024, only about 252 thousand children were born in Poland, which is the lowest figure since the end of World War II. The fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.099.

The largest outflow of workers will affect industry: 805 thousand people are expected to leave, while only 405 thousand will arrive. In education, the number of workers may decrease by 29%, and in healthcare by 23%. Already, more than 23% of Poland’s population has passed retirement age. By the end of December 2025, almost 1.29 million foreigners were legally working and insured in Poland. Due to the stabilization of labor force influx from the eastern border, 2026 will see a sharp increase in migration from India.

Robots and Warehouses in Poland: New Reality

The warehouse process is 50% automated, so packers and sorters in warehouses must show maximum vigilance and attention. Employees are transitioning to more complex tasks, becoming operators of sophisticated equipment or coordinators of logistics processes. Simultaneously, demand for machine and equipment maintenance specialists is increasing.

Retraining as a Necessity

About 80% of people receiving retraining benefits successfully complete the retraining process and find work in new professions. In 2026, only organizations whose activities are based on legality and transparency will survive.

Future Professions in Poland: Where Workers Should Move

Skills That Artificial Intelligence Cannot Replace

Employers expect that 39% of key skills required in the labor market will change by 2030. However, artificial intelligence cannot replace human empathy. In patient care or personnel selection, empathy remains critically important, as machines can recognize emotions but cannot experience them. Making ethical decisions also requires human participation, as algorithms are governed by logic, while ethics requires understanding of values, culture, and justice.

Creativity and adaptability distinguish people from programs. Artificial intelligence generates ideas based on existing data, while true creativity is born from curiosity and new experience. Analytical thinking allows seeing the full picture and modeling processes. Flexibility becomes a necessity as work directions may completely change.

In-Demand Professions of the Next Decade

Artificial intelligence and machine learning specialists are in demand not only in the IT sector but also in medicine, transport, and education. Renewable energy engineers help design wind power plants, solar panels, and biogas installations. Demand for cybersecurity specialists is growing due to increasing cyber attacks. Medical technology specialists work with telemedicine and complex medical equipment.

Unskilled Work in Poland: What Will Change

Polish employers are ready to hire foreign employees without experience and professional skills, provided they are willing to learn. Warehouses and logistics offer packaging and order fulfillment with pay of 5,000-7,500 PLN net. Ukrainians less frequently agree to unskilled positions: approximately 36% of Ukrainian labor migrants work outside their specialty, which is significantly less than in previous years.

Conclusion

Poland’s labor market stands on the threshold of cardinal changes. Automation indeed threatens millions of jobs, however the demographic crisis and specialist shortage create new opportunities. The key to success is your readiness to adapt and develop skills that artificial intelligence cannot replace. Empathy, creativity, and analytical thinking will remain in demand. Retraining becomes not a choice, but a necessity for those who want to remain competitive in the Polish labor market.