Ukrainians working in Poland want to stay there longer. Their job expectations have changed

The vast majority of Ukrainians working in Poland are satisfied with the current employment conditions. More than half of them associate their professional future with Poland. At the same time, expectations have changed.

— They are looking for a standard working time, regular remuneration, a guaranteed period of notice, paid holidays, the right to social security benefits and health insurance, i.e. elements that are associated with an employment contract – comments Marzena Milinkevich, Randstad Polska.

Before the war for earnings. Currently in search of security. Ukrainians in Poland

For Ukrainian citizens, Poland has been an attractive destination for economic emigration for a long time – among the participants of the Randstad study “Direction to Poland. Employees from Ukraine on the Polish labor market”, more than half of them arrived before the outbreak of the war (58%).

When Russia launched its military invasion, a new wave of workers came to Poland: every third (31 percent) arrived in the period after February 24 but before the beginning of July, and every tenth – in the period from July to October 2022. For 84 percent of workers who crossed our border after February 24, the main reason for the decision was the outbreak of war. Every third person (32 percent) emphasizes that they came not only in search of a job but also to join family members or friends who lived here before.

A new group of employees from Ukraine

Although also before the war, economic immigrants were mainly women (60 percent), in the group who arrived after February 24, they already constitute 83 percent. When we compare this with the data that 62 percent of the surveyed people crossed the border with their children or parents, it is clear that the outbreak of the war created a completely new group of workers. It was mainly women who had to ensure the safety of their loved ones: and this reason was more important to them than economic factors.

After the outbreak of the war, only 17 percent of Poles came to Poland for better wages, and before the war it was the main reason indicated by more than half (51%) of employees from Ukraine participating in the survey.

Every second employee from Ukraine works in Poland below their competence

Only every fifth employee from Ukraine (17 percent) performs work corresponding to qualifications. People with secondary education (19%) are more likely to find a suitable position than those with higher education (10%). Half of the employed (49 percent) work below their competence.

It turns out that the biggest obstacle on the way to a better job for them is the language barrier: 60 percent admit it – women (66%) and men (48%). Persons who entered the Polish labor market after the outbreak of the war are twice as likely to struggle with not knowing the language (it is as much as 85%).

The second most frequently mentioned obstacle, after the language barrier, is the lack of offers in line with qualifications (30%). Almost as many people indicate that it is a challenge to not honor Ukrainian licenses and professional certificates (28%).

More than half of Ukrainians want to stay in Poland longer

Aspirations for higher pay and willingness to develop professionally has 94 percent of all people from Ukraine who currently work in Poland emphasize that they are satisfied with the employment conditions and more than half (55 percent) want to work here also in the future. When asked what would most encourage them to change their current employer, they answer that it would be higher earnings (88 percent of responses). This group is dominated by specialists: people with higher education (91%). This was less often declared by people with vocational education (83%). The second most frequently mentioned argument is the possibility of improving qualifications: 43% of respondents answered this question, all employed.

Professional aspirations increase with the level of education: almost every third employee with higher education (27%) intends to seek a position in line with his qualifications, every fifth with a secondary education (18%), and every tenth (10%) with a professional one (10%).