In 2023, most often both Ukrainian refugees and pre-war migrants received salaries in the amount of 3,000 – 4,000 zlotys (28,000 – 38,000 UAH), but 49% of refugees declared earnings of less than 3,000 zlotys, among pre-war migrants only 21%. This is stated in the report of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), according to the analytical center of the international employment agency Gremi Personal.
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At the same time, there is an annual growth refugee wages, which is a consequence of record low unemployment in Poland and an increase in the minimum wage.
According to a survey conducted by the NBP since 2019, the average salary of migrants who arrived in Poland before the start of the war increased between 2019 and 2022 by approximately 38%, and between 2022 and 2023 by 6%.
The average net salary received by Ukrainians in Poland is about 33 thousand UAH.
In total, before the full-scale war in Ukraine, 94% of Ukrainian migrants in Poland were employed, compared to 64% of wartime migrants.
Marital status
An important issue is the family status of migrants arriving in Poland after February 24, 2022. The majority of all refugees were women – 78%, male refugees – 22%. Women who remained in Poland with children and no other family members make up 26% of all refugees, followed by 12% of women who remained with children and a male partner.
However, a relatively high percentage of women in Poland Poland without children and a partner, alone or only with other family members, for a total of 32%.
Despite the fact that there are incomparably fewer Ukrainian male refugees from Ukraine, they feel much better on the Polish labor market. Most of them work (71% versus 61%) and only 15% of men are unemployed versus 27% of women.
It is interesting that pre-war migrants mostly worked in professions that required special qualifications, but not higher education ( welders, turners, electricity, etc.).
While refugees who arrived and found work in Poland turned out to be, on average, people with a relatively high education, however, the vast majority of refugees performed simple work that did not require qualifications.
Education received in Ukraine
At the same time, the Gremi Personal analytical center surveyed employed Ukrainians regarding the level of education received in Ukraine (480 respondents took part in the survey):
- 36 % have secondary technical education, 26% have completed secondary education, 18% have received higher education, 8% have received basic secondary education, 6% have incomplete higher education. 3% have a scientific degree, 1.5% each fall in the “higher technical” and “incomplete secondary” categories.
“The wages of Ukrainian refugees in Poland mainly depend on the increase in the minimum wage in the Polish economy and are rarely related to the education received in Ukraine, regardless of its level. However, if highly qualified Ukrainians speak enough Polish, they can compete with Poles for vacant positions,” said Anna Jobolda, director of the recruitment department at Gremi Personal.
