Warsaw Business Journal

Home
Warsaw Business Journal

Poland's leading English-language monthly and daily news digest Poland A.M. https://youtu.be/GN-2G8YS6C4

24/07/2025

Poland moves to ban unpaid internships—and set a new EU standard

💼💰 The Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy is drafting legislation to ensure all internships are paid.

Why it matters:
▪️ Unpaid internships disproportionately affect young people, job seekers, and career changers
▪️ New rules aim to guarantee fair pay and legal protections for all entry-level work
▪️ Poland is aligning with EU-wide efforts to end exploitative internship practices

🗣️ “Young people entering the labor market are particularly vulnerable to unfair and unequal treatment. We want to end this,” said Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk.

The move follows EU Council recommendations under Poland’s presidency and could reshape early-career work across Europe.

The Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy is preparing legislation to ban unpaid internships. On Wednesday, it held pre-consultations with youth groups, NGOs, and public institutions to gather input. “Young people entering the labor market are particularly vulnerable to unfair and unequal t...

23/07/2025

🚀 Record €21M Investment Fuels Trasti’s InsurTech Expansion

Polish digital insurer Trasti has secured €21 million in growth capital from the EBRD and Zavarovalnica Triglav, marking the largest InsurTech investment in Central Europe to date.

📊 In just four years:

- 700,000+ customers served
- PLN 620M in gross premiums
- 36,000+ claims paid
- Named Best Digital Insurer 2024

💡 The funding will power:

- Next-gen digital claims & sales solutions
- Expansion beyond motor insurance
- Foreign market entry & license prep

Backed by Triglav’s cross-border expertise and the EBRD’s digital transformation agenda, Trasti continues to challenge industry norms with a bold, customer-first approach: “Simply fair.”

Business Consumer services 16:48 22 July 2025 Post by: WBJ Trasti signs investment agreement to become largest Polish InsurTech in CE. Source: WBJ

22/07/2025

💼 Poland’s Wage Growth Beats Forecasts, But Job Recovery Lags

Despite strong wage gains, Poland’s labor market is still struggling to rebound:

Average gross wages rose 9% y/y in June to PLN 8,881.84, boosted by mining sector raises and last year’s low base

Real wage growth neared 4%, and could hit 6% by year-end as inflation slows

Yet employment declined 0.8% y/y—nearly 20,000 jobs lost since January

🔍 Bright spots: Professional and technical services are hiring
⚠️ Pain points: Industrial job cuts persist; employers remain cautious

Economists at Bank Pekao believe stronger GDP and investment in H2 2025 may help turn the tide.

Economists at Bank Pekao expect that stronger economic growth and increased investment in H2 2025 could support sluggish employment recovery. According to GUS, average gross wages in June rose 9% y/y to PLN 8,881.84, exceeding expectations due to mining sector raises and a low base last year. Real w...

18/07/2025

📈 Record-breaking half-year for PAIH-backed investments

In H1 2025, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency supported 21 projects worth €2.4B, marking the strongest six-month performance in its history.

🔹 2,500+ jobs planned across 13 manufacturing and 8 service sector projects
🔹 €2.37B came from manufacturing—but services created more jobs (1,344 vs. 1,220), highlighting the impact of automation
🔹 Top investors by capital: U.S. and China
🔹 Most active by project count: Polish companies (5)

📍 Masovia led in regional investments, followed by West Pomerania, Łódź, Silesia, and Lesser Poland.

“This shows the growing maturity and ambition of Polish business.” – Paweł Pudłowski, PAIH

In H1 2025, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) supported 21 investment projects worth €2.4 billion, generating over 2,500 planned jobs—the best half-year result in its history. Previously, the €1 billion threshold was only surpassed in early 2014, 2020, and 2021.

15/07/2025

♻️ Europe’s Fashion Footprint: Time for Structural Change

The average European buys 26 kg of textiles a year—and throws away 11 kg. While nearly half of consumers now avoid fast fashion and a quarter shop second-hand, access and affordability still limit impact.

🧵 According to Fashion Revolution Poland’s Agnieszka Wąsowska-Telęga, the fashion industry pollutes through:

- Microplastics in synthetic fabrics
- Chemical-heavy dyeing processes
- Mountains of textile waste

What’s changing?

- Poland began recycling textile waste in Jan 2025
- New eco-design and ESG rules are coming
- Small brands are getting help to go circular

Consumer choices matter—but lasting change requires bold regulation and responsible production.

Business Retail 16:54 14 July 2025 Post by: WBJ Europeans abandoning fast fashion, industry needs to change source: Pixabay

10/07/2025

Temu overtakes Allegro as Poland’s #1 e-commerce platform

In June, Temu became the most visited online shopping site in Poland, logging 19.54M users—beating long-time leader Allegro (17.73M), according to Mediapanel.

📊 Key stats:

- Temu reach: 65.69% of Polish internet users
- Allegro reach: 59.58%

Allegro still leads in time spent: avg. 1h 39m 24s vs. Temu’s shorter sessions

Meanwhile, other Chinese platforms are climbing:

- Aliexpress: 9.66M users (32.47% reach)
- Shein: 7.77M users (26.12% reach)

The competition for Poland’s digital shopping carts is heating up.

Temu has overtaken Allegro in user numbers and online reach, becoming Poland’s most visited e-commerce platform. In June, Temu logged 19.54 million real users across all devices, slightly down from 19.7 million in May, according to Mediapanel. Allegro, once dominant, followed with 17.73 million us...

08/07/2025

Poland Eyes Top 20 Economy Status—Driven by Deregulation

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and InPost CEO Rafał Brzoska reaffirmed Poland’s commitment to cutting red tape—a strategy they credit for the country’s rising global economic standing.

🔹 Poland is projected to become the world’s 20th largest economy in 2025, overtaking Switzerland
🔹 Its purchasing power may exceed Japan’s, thanks to deregulation
🔹 Brzoska’s team submitted 500 proposals, now reflected in 175 draft laws
🔹 20+ reforms have already been signed into law

While Brzoska steps down from leading the initiative, he will continue to support it. Business leaders and legal experts are calling for even more ambitious reforms to modernize the overregulated system and fuel future growth.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and InPost CEO Rafał Brzoska announced continued efforts to deregulate the economy, calling it a major driver of growth. Tusk highlighted that Poland is set to become the world’s 20th largest economy in 2025, surpassing Switzerland, with purchasing power exceedin...

03/07/2025

📊 New Survey: 93% of Polish Office Workers Want Shorter Hours

A June 2025 study by RocketJobs.pl and JustJoin.it reveals overwhelming support for reduced working hours among office workers in Poland.

Here’s what they prefer:

- 64.3% want a 4-day work week
- 26% prefer shorter workdays
- 9.7% want extra vacation time

Why?

- More time with family (62.3%)
- Space for hobbies (48.3%)
- Rest and recovery (47.4%)
- But it’s not all about leisure:

31.9% would use the time for professional development

38.4% might job-hunt—especially for better pay or conditions

🧠 While most see it as a win-win, some fear the same workload squeezed into fewer hours could backfire.

Survey by ASM Research (CAWI, n=801).

https://wbj.pl/majority-back-shorter-hours/post/146453

A June 2025 survey by RocketJobs.pl and JustJoin.it shows that 93% of Polish office workers support reduced working hours. The preferred model is a four-day work week (64.3%), followed by shorter workdays (26%) and additional vacation days (9.7%).

01/07/2025

Poland’s Business Services Sector: still growing despite uncertainty

According to ABSL’s 2025 report, Poland is home to over 2,000 business services centers and nearly half a million specialists—solidifying its position as a global leader.

Despite economic uncertainty and talent shortages, the sector is still growing—powered by adaptability, AI adoption, and a highly skilled workforce.

📌 84.6% of companies see AI as a strategic opportunity
📌 Talent development and flexible work models are key priorities
📌 Poland is shifting from a support role to a standard-setter on the global stage

To stay ahead, the focus must now shift from scale to strategic value.

Business 15:57 30 June 2025 Post by: WBJ Report: strategic challenges and opportunities ahead for Poland’s business services sector Source: Pexels

26/06/2025

Poland’s Defense Industry Faces a Workforce Crunch
To meet its military ambitions, Poland must add 250,000 workers to the defense sector by 2035—while its working-age population shrinks by 800,000.

According to Deloitte’s CE Economic Outlook, the new roles include:

- 70,000 soldiers
- 90,000 arms industry specialists
- 77,000 supply chain professionals

But with over 40% of companies already struggling to hire, the talent gap could derail modernization plans.
Experts call for urgent action:

- Rethink labor policy to redirect talent
- Expand vocational and technical training
- Mobilize underemployed groups (students, seniors, people with disabilities)
- Strengthen public-private partnerships
- Invest in automation and industrial efficiency

📉 Without these steps—and sustainable funding as debt approaches the 60% of GDP cap—the sector’s growth could stall.

Poland’s defense sector will need 250,000 new workers by 2035 to meet growing military and industrial demands, according to Deloitte's CE Economic Outlook report. This includes 70,000 soldiers, 90,000 arms industry specialists, and 77,000 supply chain workers.

24/06/2025

What “entrepreneurial” means depends on when you were born

A new ING Bank Śląski study reveals that different generations in Poland define entrepreneurship in distinct ways: boomers associate it with cleverness, Gen X with hard work, millennials with adaptability, and Gen Z with creativity.

Despite these differences, the entrepreneurial spirit runs deep:
🔸 Just 20% of Poles run a business
🔸 But 64% consider themselves entrepreneurial
🔸 Traits most linked to entrepreneurship: diligence, resourcefulness, and risk-taking
🔸 The desire to start a business is strongest among 18–24-year-olds
🔸 Social influences—especially family and mentors—play a key role

Yet Poland still lacks a strong entrepreneurial mythos. Entrepreneurs are too often portrayed as schemers or victims—not innovators.

Domestic Society 16:44 23 June 2025 Post by: WBJ Study: two thirds of Poles consider themselves entrepreneurial people Source: Pexels

20/06/2025

🏠 Signs of recovery in Poland’s housing market

After months of uncertainty, the sector is rebounding — thanks in part to the central bank’s May 2025 interest rate cut, which boosted mortgage affordability.

📈 Key trends:

- Mortgage applications up 24% YoY in Q1 (98,000 total)
- 66% surge in applications at PKO BP in May
- Record-high average loan: PLN 467,000
- Developers sold 3,700+ units in May — a 30% monthly jump

Demand is driven by both Polish buyers and foreign investors — many paying cash for smaller units. Despite high construction costs, prices are holding steady due to strong demand and limited supply.

📊 Outlook will depend on future monetary and housing policy decisions.

Real estate Residential 13:19 19 June 2025 Post by: WBJ New housing market recovering; cheaper loans boosting demand Source: Pexels

Address

Telephone

+48222577500

Website

http://www.wbj.pl/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Warsaw Business Journal posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Warsaw Business Journal:

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Alerts
Contact The Business
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Country:

City:

Our Story

Warsaw Business Journal is Poland’s leading English-language business magazine, targeted at readers including top managers and decision-makers in the country. We cover news and provide in-depth analyses of trends in such areas as the Polish economy, finance, law, technology, real estate and much more.

The Warsaw Business Journal Group also publishes the Poland A.M. daily news digest and its German-language counterpart Polen Am Morgen, as well as the annual Book of Lists business guide, which showcases the biggest and most successful companies in each sector of the Polish economy. The publication of the Book of Lists is accompanies by a Book of Lists Gala, a must be for top entrepreneurs and C-level professionals.

https://wbj.pl/