W Polsce postrzeganie migrantów zarobkowych stopniowo się zmienia. Podczas gdy społeczeństwo wcześniej obawiało się konkurencji o miejsca pracy, te obawy coraz częściej ustępują miejsca spokojniejszemu, a nawet pozytywnemu postrzeganiu. Potwierdzają to dane z najnowszego "Barometru Rynku Pracy w Polsce."
Today, 40% of workers in Poland encounter foreigners at work in one way or another: almost one in six collaborates with them on a regular basis, and nearly a quarter does so occasionally. However, more than half of the respondents still do not have professional contact with migrants
The attitude towards foreigners remains generally reserved, but without sharp judgments: 36% of Poles have a positive outlook, 43% take a neutral position, and only 14% express negativity. Ukrainians still play the main role in the labor market — they make up almost 80% of all foreign workers in the country
The fears have not materialized
Experts note that the scenario many feared has not come to pass. There has been no mass «theft of jobs.»
Over the past year, the share of Poles with a positive or neutral attitude towards foreigners has increased from 71% to 79%. This is a significant shift that indicates a gradual normalization of the situation
According to specialists, observing other countries in Europe has also played a role. Poles see the difficulties faced by Germany, France, or Spain, and begin to reassess their own experiences
As a result, a more pragmatic view is forming: migrants are not a threat, but people with whom one can work and find common ground
Less competition than expected
Większość Polaków (69%) nie obawia się, że obcokrajowcy wypchną ich z rynku pracy. Tylko co piąty uważa taki scenariusz za możliwy.
The reason is simple: in reality, migrants more often fill labor gaps rather than compete for the same positions. They occupy niches where there is a shortage of local workers, thereby complementing the market rather than destroying it
Where Ukrainians work
Ukrainians are most often employed in the service sector and manufacturing. Many of them have been working in Poland for several years and have managed to adapt
To jest odzwierciedlone w ich samoocenie: 73% ocenia swoją sytuację zawodową pozytywnie, chociaż ponad jedna czwarta nadal napotyka trudności.
Experts emphasize that proximity — geographical, cultural, and linguistic — plays an important role. This is why Ukraine remains the main source of labor migration to Poland, and workers themselves often choose Poland over more distant countries in Western Europe
How many foreigners work in Poland
According to the latest data, at the end of October 2025, more than 1.13 million foreigners were working in Poland — 7% more than a year earlier
Of these, about 767 thousand are citizens of Ukraine. Their number continues to grow
