Poland is concerned with Ukrainian manpower reduction

Polish employers are concerned with the potential outflow of Ukrainians to the western labour markets. Some of Ukrainian migrant workers have already started to reorient themselves toward the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Rzeczpospolita informs. 

It has been noted that the number of Ukrainians, who pay insurance fees in Poland, increased up to 426,000 in the third quarter of 2018. According to different estimates, the total of more than a million Ukrainians are currently working in Poland. 

“Foreigners will continue to form the support for the national labour market. However, Ukraine’s migration potential is exhausted,” the PKO Bank Polski’s analysts claim. 

The agency also notes that there is a possibility of the outflow of Ukrainians to Germany. 

“It may happen that in the beginning of the next year, our western neighbours will open their labour market wider for the workers from outside the EU,” the agency notes. 

According to the research carried out by the Work Service, in this case, 59% of Ukrainian migrant workers may move from Poland to Germany at once.

 “It is a huge threat for Polish economy. During 2-3 months, the manpower shortage could increase from 165,000 to half a million vacancies,” says the president of the employment company Personnel Service Krzysztof Inglot.

 “The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have already started to entice the workers from Ukraine. These countries have simplified employment terms and now offer better working conditions,” he claims. 

“Salaries in construction increase significantly, while there is a shortage of workers. In 2019, the situation will only worsen because of the outflow of Ukrainians to the west,” Leszek Gołąbiecki, the president of Unibep is worried. 

It has been informed earlier that the overwhelming majority of Ukrainian migrant workers (73%) are not going to stay in Poland.