Poland has recorded the lowest wage growth rates in the last five years.
About 68% of Polish companies have effectively halted salary increases, reported the press service of the international employment company Gremi Personal.
"The Polish labor market is gradually coming out of the overheating phase that lasted for the past few years. Salary is no longer the main tool in the competition for personnel, and companies are increasingly returning to more conservative expense management and stricter financial discipline," the company noted.
In the first quarter of 2026, the average salary in Poland's corporate sector was 9263.5 zlotys (almost 2,160 euros) gross, which is 6.3% higher than a year earlier. For comparison, in 2023-2024, salaries in Poland's corporate sector grew by 10-13% annually against the backdrop of high inflation and a labor shortage.
The growth of the minimum wage has also become more restrained: as of January 1, 2026, it increased by only 3%, or 140 zlotys, to 4806 zlotys (1120 euros) gross.
An additional factor has been the cooling of the labor market. In some sectors, companies are slowing down hiring or postponing staff expansion.
