– The current picture of the industrial sector is heterogeneous. On the one hand, there is information about closing plants and relocating production, on the other hand, new factories are being opened and new investors are interested in our market. It is worth noting that the current condition of the industry is strongly influenced by both the economic and geopolitical situation. The significant price increase that occurred over the year has had an impact on demand, and consumers are still cautious. The double increase in the minimum wage and the increase in other remuneration are also important for the condition of companies, says Danuta Protasewicz, regional manager at Grafton Recruitment.
The industry is still facing the consequences of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the reorganization of the sales market and the global supply chain, and the instability of demand. The effects of general economic uncertainty, rising labor, energy and raw material costs are confirmed by the April PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) reading of 45.9.
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, entrepreneurs expect the situation in their companies to improve in the next three months or are already noticing improvement. Analysts forecast that despite the rather poor results of the domestic industry, the observable recovery in the euro zone may have a positive impact on the increase in orders also in the Polish industrial sector. However, it should be noted that the number of employment in this industry has been continuously decreasing since December 2022.
The interest of foreign investors is also important for the prospects of the industrial sector. However, as observed by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, which mainly attracts projects in the field of electronics and electromobility, the high level of automation of production of the acquired investments does not result in a significant increase in the number of jobs.
Who does the industrial sector want to employ?
Attention is drawn to the growing demand of manufacturing sector companies for manual workers, both unskilled ("blue collars") and skilled ("black collars"), the demand for which increased by 34% year on year. The specialists sought include technicians, automation specialists, electricians and mechanics. At the same time, the demand for engineering and specialist positions was below the market benchmark, although data from the beginning of the second quarter of 2024 and a slight increase in the number of offers are optimistic.
The highest demand for employees compared to other industrial sectors is visible in construction. This applies in particular to specialist roles, and the most sought-after and best-paid specializations are in the road, bridge, railway, sanitary and electrical industries.
At the same time, a slight increase in demand is noticeable in the number of advertisements for roles related to supply chain management and production engineering. Positions of process engineers and engineering positions related to maintenance (automation, mechanics, electrical) are in demand.
Attention is also drawn to the continuing increase in interest in working in support departments (back office) in manufacturing companies – accounting, HR, sales and marketing. Candidates look more favorably at job offers in the sector, appreciating the attractiveness of the positions, the complexity of responsibilities and greater opportunities for professional development than in other industries.
The smallest increase in demand for roles was recorded in the area of research and development, which, after a period of record demand for talents, returned to the level of 2020. This state of affairs may be influenced by fluctuations in the IT industry and the not yet fully defined direction of the transformation of the automotive sector towards electromobility. However, also in this group of positions, there is currently a slight upward trend.
Salary levels
The average gross salary in the industrial sector remains lower compared to other sectors of the economy. While in April 2024 the average salary in the enterprise sector was PLN 8,272 gross and the average salary increase was 11.3%, in industrial processing it was PLN 7,796 gross and in construction – PLN 8,137. At the same time, in the electricity, gas, steam and hot water production and supply industry, the remuneration amounted to PLN 11,071.
In construction, an engineer earns up to PLN 12,000, a construction manager up to PLN 20,000, and an electrical installation designer up to PLN 18,000, depending on experience and region. In the case of FMCG and pharmacy, a production manager and a logistics manager can expect a salary of up to PLN 22,000, a mechanic and electrician up to PLN 10,000, and a forklift operator up to PLN 8,000. In the automotive industry, the salary of a mechanic is up to PLN 9,000, a production operator up to PLN 7,000, a welder up to PLN 10,000, and an engineer up to PLN 14,000. In distribution centers, a logistics manager earns up to PLN 20,000, a forwarder and foreman up to PLN 10,000, and a planner up to PLN 12,000. In the case of "back office" employees, the remuneration of a marketing manager is up to PLN 22,000, of a service manager up to PLN 20,000, of an HR specialist up to PLN 11,000, and of an accountant up to PLN 13,000. In R&D centers, a design department manager earns up to PLN 30,000, an electronics engineer up to PLN 17,000, and a test leader up to PLN 26,000.
Salaries in the sector are growing less dynamically than a year ago, by an average of 4% for managerial positions (a year earlier it was 6.9%), 7% for specialist positions (9.4% a year earlier) and 9% for skilled and unskilled production workers ( 12% a year earlier). The highest average increase was recorded in the automotive and equipment production group – by 7.6% (the previous year it was 9%) and in distribution centers – 7.1%, similarly to the previous year. The smallest concerns research and development centers and engineering centers (2.4%, a year earlier 11.6%).
Employee retention is crucial for the sector
A significant obstacle to the development of the industrial sector may be the increasing employee turnover, which – according to this year's edition of the Gi Group Holding "Labor Market Barometer" – already affects 32% of the surveyed companies. The changes are visible in all types of enterprises, regardless of their size or industry, with an increased level of turnover more often recorded by the largest entities (a year ago, 83% of them did not have such a problem, of which only 40.2%) and the industrial sector (38 .6% – 47.1 pp y/y). Greater problems with turnover concern all types of positions, but they are more often reported in the case of lower-level employees, especially in the industrial sector (19%, an increase of 11.3 pp y/y).
– The percentage of people planning to change their job is growing alarmingly, and for the first time in several years it is higher than the percentage of people intending to continue working in their current job. The main motivator of the change are pay conditions, non-financial factors also play an important role, such as a good atmosphere, life-work balance, opportunities for development and improvement of qualifications – comments Tomasz Tarabuła, regional director of Gi Group Poland SA
Decrease in the number of students of higher technical schools
A disturbing phenomenon for the industrial sector is the systematically decreasing percentage of students studying at technical universities.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, the number of students in the fields of technology, industry and construction decreased by almost 5% compared to the previous period. The largest declines are visible in the Opole Voivodeship (-9.3%), Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (-8%) and Łódź Voivodeship (-7.5%). The only region where the number of students at technical universities increased was the Pomeranian Voivodeship (1.1%).
– It is worth looking at the continuing decline in the number of students of technical schools from the perspective of staff shortages in the industrial sector, which has been struggling for years with recruiting specialists, especially middle-level ones. Although this year a smaller percentage of enterprises are complaining about problems with recruiting employees, the companies' anxiety should not be surprising, as they are planning in a long-term perspective. Therefore, it is becoming more and more important to promote an industry that provides attractive professional development, especially in the context of the use of modern technologies – comments Joanna Więcowska, co-author of the report, Brand Manager Grafton Recruitment.
