The beginning of 2026 will bring improved sentiment in the labor market; however, this will result not from mass recruitment but from labor market specialization and companies focusing on high-quality candidates. According to the ManpowerGroup report published today, more than one-third of employers (36%) plan new recruitment in the first quarter, while nearly half (47%) do not forecast any changes in headcount. Only 13% of companies are considering reductions. New employees will be sought primarily by employers in the automotive, finance and insurance, trade, and logistics sectors. Northern Poland stands out with the greatest staffing needs, while the south remains cautious.

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The “ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Barometer” published today presents companies’ recruitment plans for Q1 2026. The Net Employment Outlook—i.e., the difference between companies planning recruitment and those anticipating reductions—stands at +22%. Employer sentiment is more positive; compared with Q4 2025, the outlook increased by 11 percentage points, and year over year by 7 pp. – The end of the year and budget closures always bring a temporary slowdown, while the first quarter opens room to unlock recruitment. However, a high employment outlook does not mean mass hiring; it reflects a more positive approach to acquiring new skills related to the restructuring of employment structures. On the one hand, optimization measures and cautious budget management are ongoing; on the other, employers have funds for recruitment but invest them in specific skills – says Tomasz Walenczak, General Director of ManpowerGroup in Poland.

– Organizations are identifying competency gaps with increasing precision. They conduct detailed talent audits, define areas that require strengthening, and clearly specify which candidate profiles will be key. The pool of required skills is changing; the role of analytical, technological, and operational competencies is growing. This, in turn, means that the first quarter will be a period of recruitment in specialized areas and a continuation of the long-term trend, namely building organizations based on high-quality talent. Among the reasons for new recruitment, respondents in our survey point to development, entry into new markets and areas of activity, and carrying out specific projects requiring new skills; they seek new employees to gain a fresh perspective on business and increase competitive advantage. All of this is associated not with mass recruitment but with the search for top-class specialists. On the other hand, in our surveys companies are not afraid to talk about challenges, such as economic ones, that affect employment strategies. Others optimize processes and reduce positions, also as a result of automation, adjusting headcount to current business needs – adds the head of ManpowerGroup.

Automotive, finance, trade, and logistics with a recruitment boom

In the first quarter of the coming year, employers in all analyzed sectors intend to conduct recruitment. The most active are expected to be companies in the automotive sector (+43%), as well as finance and insurance (+35%) and trade and logistics (+32%). A high outlook also applies to hospitality, food service, and tourism (+25%).Good job-change prospects also await candidates from professional, scientific, and technical services. New workers will also be sought by sectors such as construction and real estate, information and communication, and industrial manufacturing, with outlooks at +17%. Positive outlooks are also reported by entrepreneurs in technology and IT services (+13%), while the public sector, healthcare, and social services record the lowest—but still optimistic—outlook (+10%).

Northern Poland leads recruitment, the South remains cautious

Looking at the labor market from the perspective of individual regions of Poland, it is clear that the most new career opportunities will appear in the North (+31%) and the Northwest (+30%). Slightly lower forecasts, but still indicating recruitment activity, are declared by employers from the Center (+25%), the East (+21), and the Southwest (+16%). In Q1 2026, the lowest demand for new employees is announced by organizations from Southern Poland (+7%), but people wanting to change employers can still count on such opportunities.

– Despite rising costs, Poland remains an attractive operational location. We continue to observe the transfer of specific business processes to our country, especially those requiring high quality, specialization, and operational stability. This generates demand for new competency profiles and opens space for further labor market development – summarizes Tomasz Walenczak.

Medium-sized companies drive the labor market

The ManpowerGroup study shows that employment outlooks differ clearly depending on organizational size. The most optimistic sentiment prevails in companies employing 50 to 249 workers (+32%) and in enterprises with 250 to 999 employees (+27%). A high result was also recorded in the largest corporations, where the number of positions exceeds 5,000 (+19%). Small (+14%) and micro companies (+11%) will also be looking for new hands for work.

Poland above the average for European countries

The largest recruitment needs among European markets are reported by the Netherlands (+36%) and Ireland (+31%). Among countries in the region, only Slovakia forecasts job cuts (-3%). Poland’s other neighbors have high employment outlooks—+24% in Germany and +23% in the Czech Republic.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Barometer for Q1 2026 was developed based on interviews covering a representative sample of 502 employers in Poland. This report uses the concept of the “Net Employment Outlook.” This parameter is the percentage-point difference between the share of employers anticipating an increase in total employment and the share of companies expecting a decrease in total employment in their branch in the upcoming quarter. The obtained result is precisely the Net Employment Outlook. The study was conducted globally between October 1 and 31, 2025, among more than 39,000 employers representing 41 markets worldwide.