Poland taps into Asian workforce

Nepal, India and Bangladesh are gradually becoming major workforce sources for Polish employers.

Figures from the Labour Ministry confirm this trend. The first half of 2017 saw a record number of work permit applications submitted for Indian, Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals. The 4,342 requests beat the total number of applications in the previous year by over 340.

Experts expect the trend to pick up speed in the years to come as the Polish labour market is increasingly in need of foreign workers.

"Of course, Ukrainians still account for a large part of foreigners working in Poland, but it’s plain to see they no longer suffice for the Polish economy," Marcin Kołodziejczyk of recruitment agency Grupa Progres says.

Kołodziejczyk points to the food industry’s fish, meat and fruit sectors as particularly in need of the Asian labour force. “Just two to three years ago, companies from these sectors would take on our eastern neighbours en masse, but those days are gone.” (aba/gs/pk)

Source: Dziennik Gazeta Prawna