Human resources

摘要

Poland boasts a skilled and educated workforce, but there is a mismatch of qualifications for the highest-skilled segments as there are not enough jobs to absorb these workers. Poland's competitive advantage remains based on low labour costs made possible by the glaring difference in salaries paid to workers in Poland (as well as other eastern European EU member states) compared with salaries paid in western Europe. This fact makes the country an attractive place to set up businesses in sectors particularly vulnerable to wage pressure, such as the auto industry and other types of manufacturing. Wages in Poland are set to face upward pressure in the coming years, reflecting the government's support of higher average wages, a middling birth rate and rampant emigration to richer EU member states (particularly the UK) since Poland's entry into the EU in 2004. However, labour costs remain modest compared with major markets in western Europe. Poland will thus remain an attractive location for foreign companies' labour-intensive operations, although relative specialisation in low-to medium-technology manufacturing and outsourced services compounds the issue of skill levels among the workforce.