Since the second quarter of 2025, demand for temporary workers among companies in retail, production and logistics has remained at a high, 70 percent level. These are the findings of the latest Tikrow agency report, “The temporary labor market in Poland. Outlook for retail, production and logistics. 2026 edition,” which includes an analysis of the Occasional Work Indicators - surveys that have been conducted continuously since 2023.

- Companies are increasingly using a hybrid workforce management model. This is not surprising, especially in the context of the rapid rise in employment costs, driven primarily by increases in the minimum wage. At the beginning of 2023, the national minimum salary was PLN 3,490 gross, and today it reaches PLN 4,806 gross, which means an increase of over 30 percent. These changes have a direct impact on the decisions made by business managers - comments on the report findings Krzysztof Trębski, president of Tikrow, Instant Employment Agency.

Production with the greatest demand in Q2

In the latest edition of the Occasional Work Indicator for the second quarter of the year, there is a slight increase in companies' plans to hire temporary workers compared with the beginning of the year - by 1 pp. Today, 70 percent of companies declare such an intention. This is a result almost identical to the same period last year. It points to great stability in the temporary labor market.

Stability is also visible across individual industries. Production is still the sector where the demand for extra hands is the greatest. 77 percent of manufacturing companies intend to hire temporary workers in the second quarter of the year. This is a decline of 2 pp. compared with the first quarter and exactly the same result as in the second quarter of 2025.

Interest in temporary workers is also growing in retail and logistics.
In retail, 69 percent of companies plan to hire occasional workers (up by 5 pp.), in logistics - 64 percent (up by 3 pp.). This is the result of the seasonal increase in consumer activity in the second quarter - a period including Easter, the May long weekend and the beginning of the summer holidays.

Seasonality a staffing challenge for companies

The results of the Occasional Work Indicator show that it is the seasonal increase in orders that is the reason for looking for additional workers. This reason was indicated by 43 percent of companies. This is an increase of 1 pp. compared with Q1 and as much as 6 pp. more than in the same period last year.

At the beginning of the second quarter, rising employment costs are the reason for additional hiring for 37 percent of companies - 5 pp. less than at the beginning of the year and exactly the same result as in 2025. The third most frequently cited reason is difficulties in finding blue-collar workers - it was indicated by 31 percent of company representatives participating in the survey (up by 2 pp. compared with Q1, unchanged year on year).

- The second quarter, together with the start of the spring season, is a significant staffing challenge for many industries. In retail, the key is to handle increased customer traffic and seasonal sales peaks while maintaining product availability and efficient service. In production, the challenge remains flexibly increasing operational capacity in response to growing orders, without overburdening permanent teams and increasing costs. In logistics, on the other hand, the most important thing is to quickly scale warehousing and transport processes as the number of orders grows and delivery punctuality becomes more pressured. – says Krzysztof Trębski.

Nearly one in five Poles plans to earn extra money

The beginning of 2026 was record-breaking in terms of interest in occasional work in Poland -
one in four respondents answered yes to the question of whether they intended to take temporary work
in the first months of the year. Forecasts for the second quarter bring more moderate results - 18 percent of Poles plan to work occasionally.

The age group most willing to take on extra work is the youngest respondents aged 18-24. 40 percent of them intend to do so. Almost one in three people (30 percent) aged 25-34 plan to earn extra money in the second quarter; one in five Poles (21 percent) aged 35-44 have the same plan. Among those aged 45+, this is a significantly smaller group - one in ten respondents.

A significant drop in interest in occasional work is visible among pupils and students - 34 percent of them intend to do so in the second quarter. This is a decrease of 33 pp. compared with the beginning of the year.

The full results of the Occasional Work Indicator for the second quarter of the year can be found in the report “The temporary labor market in Poland. Outlook for retail, production and logistics. 2026 edition.” It can be downloaded at the link below: https://tikrow.com/raport_tikrow_2026.