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Mass layoffs in Poland: Numbers that cannot be underestimated
Experts caution in an interview with „Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” that numerous collective layoffs are being reported nationwide, and these figures should not be taken lightly. The chemical sector, in particular, will be significantly impacted.
The publication highlighted that employers have indicated the necessity for mass job reductions, which will impact 80,000 individuals just in the first half of the year. This figure surpasses that of the pandemic-affected year of 2020 and is more than double the total for the previous year.
„DGP” notes that the announcements are continuing – during the initial six months of the year, collective layoffs have impacted over 17,000 workers, a number equal to the total for the entire years of 2021–2023.
The impact of legal procedures and exemptions may rise
„Certain layoffs are connected to the restructuring of unprofitable businesses that have been incurring losses for several years. Others stem from natural market dynamics,” clarifies Szymon Witkowski, an expert from Employers of Poland, as mentioned in the article. He notes that the 20% execution rate of announced layoffs is influenced by legal procedures, suggesting that the total job losses could escalate in the forthcoming months.
As reported by labor offices and referenced by „DGP,” aside from the transportation and warehousing industries—whose figures are „skewed” by Poczta Polska—the majority of anticipated collective layoffs are occurring within the manufacturing sector. The chemical industry, for instance, is facing elevated production costs, resulting in workforce reductions.
The publication reminds that on Monday, PKP Cargo announced the breakdown of discussions with trade unions and the necessity to initiate collective layoffs.
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