The Polish HR services market recorded a successful start to the year. The total turnover of companies affiliated with the Polish HR Forum (PFHR) reached PLN 1.83 billion in the first quarter of 2026, representing steady 4% year-on-year growth. The main drivers of the sector were temporary work and recruitment services.

Strong position of temporary work

The latest report of the Polish HR Forum, summarizing the results of member companies in the first quarter of 2026 (1Q2026), presents a market built on solid foundations. Temporary work maintained the dominant share in the turnover structure (64.4%).

The temporary work segment grew by 7% year on year, reaching PLN 1.178 billion. The number of temporary workers employed by PFHR entities reached 86,000 people, recording a clear increase of 14% year on year. Although compared with the end of last year turnover fell by 13%, this is a completely natural phenomenon and conditioned by cyclical seasonality

- Although the quarterly turnover correction of 13% and the 15% decline in hours worked (FTE) result directly from the calendar and the winter period, the annual indicators are very optimistic – emphasizes Ewelina Glińska-Kołodziej, member of the board of the Polish HR Forum. - The 14% year-on-year increase in the number of temporary workers, together with a stable 1% increase in the number of full-time equivalents (FTE), proves that employment flexibility has become a permanent element of the operational strategies of many companies. An extremely important and encouraging trend is that as many as 82% of contracts with temporary workers in PFHR agencies are employment contracts. This proves that on the Polish market we successfully combine flexibility with responsibility and the highest standards of worker protection.

The statistical picture of a temporary worker in the first quarter shows a slight predominance of men (52%) over women (48%). Most people carried out tasks in the production sector (61%), and the dominant age group was 26–50 years old (46%).

Recruitment on the rise

Optimistic signals are coming from the area of recruitment processes. The value of the recruitment market carried out for Polish employers grew by 4% year on year. An even stronger dynamic was recorded in recruitment for foreign employers, where turnover of member companies increased by as much as 9% y/y.

- This is already the third quarter in a row in which PFHR member companies have recorded a positive trend in the market for recruitment services provided for Polish employers (+4% y/y). This stable upward trend gains additional context if we look at the latest data from the broader market of published job vacancies. In April, the decline in the number of ads amounted to just 1% year on year, which, given the much higher downward dynamics in previous months, is a clear signal that the negative trend is slowing down. Much suggests that the market is reaching a turning point, and the outlook for the rest of the year is positive – comments Antonio Carvelli, member of the board of the Polish HR Forum.

- The stable development of the RPO segment (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) shows that employers are consistently building long-term, strategic partnerships in the area of talent acquisition. This segment remains mature and highly concentrated, and its development is based not only on the large scale of projects, but increasingly on long-term cooperation. These are no longer just projects for the SSC/BPO sector, but also for developing competence centers, IT, engineering, finance, or sales. Poland remains an attractive investment destination for global corporations - adds Szymon Rudnicki, vice president of the board of the Polish HR Forum.

Situation in other HR services: Stabilization and slight corrections

In other segments of the market, the first quarter brought more subdued results and a slight slowdown. This applies, among others, to outsourcing services, whose value fell by 2% compared with the same period last year, reflecting a more cautious approach by companies to optimizing structural costs. A similar trend was recorded in international employee secondment – here the decline amounted to 2% year on year (and 10% quarter on quarter), influenced by the demanding regulatory and economic situation in Western European markets.

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