Employment In Poland Research Articles

Navigating Employee Employment in Poland: Formal and Financial Considerations

Navigating Employee Employment in Poland: Formal and Financial Considerations

Influence of education on improving the employment prospects of individuals with disabilities

The occurrence of disparities in income among various social groups is defined by the economic term social inequalities. In the subject literature, this term is often used in association with the individuals with disabilities and their uncertain position in the job market or the barriers that they face in the education process. Thus, this paper attempts to fill an existing research gap by answering the research question of how the employment level will change among individuals with disabilities with a specific level of education if the number of individuals with disabilities with higher education changes. The main goal of the conducted study is to analyse the impact of the population size of individuals with disabilities of working age on their employment level in Poland, taking into account differences in the level of education. Particularly, the focus is on the relationships between the level of education and earning potential. To obtain answers to the research question, a national and international literature analysis was conducted, and in the empirical part, a panel regression model was employed. The results of the panel regression analysis indicate a significant impact of the interaction between the population of individuals with disabilities and the level of education on employment in Poland. Education plays a significant role in the employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities, and this dependency is also influenced by the demographic factor of population size. The interpretation of indicators may indicate a significantly higher demand for vocational and technical skills in the labour market, compared to contributing to higher employment rates of individuals with disabilities possessing these specific qualifications.

The effect of output on employment in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in output, as well as economic policies aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic. Both of these factors had an impact on the labour market. This paper investigates changes in employment across groups of workers during the coronavirus pandemic in Poland and the effect of output on these changes. Firstly, it examines changes in employment growth rates across different groups of workers in 2020. Secondly, the paper analyses the impact of the coronavirus crisis on employment by comparing actual and predicted employment growth during the pandemic period (2020). Using Okun’s law, Ordinary Least Squares, and quarterly data, the elasticities of employment growth with respect to GDP growth in the pre-pandemic period (2003–2019) are calculated. These elasticities are then used to estimate projected employment growth during the pandemic. The results suggest that the total employment response to output change was relatively small, compared to the historical pattern. However, the response was unequal across groups of workers. The youngest workers, particularly women, and those with temporary employment contracts were most affected by the pandemic.

Structural change and economic growth: Causality relationships in the case of Poland

Research background: Structural change and economic growth characterise any process of economic development and have relevant research background. However, the research on identification of a character of relationships between the phenomena are not conclusive. Researchers either find that economic growth induces structural change and the process is demand-driven or that structural change determines economic growth and the dependencies are supply-driven or that the relation is two-directional with overlapping interdependencies. Moreover, the association may be shaped differently depending on specific development conditions of each economy and transform over time. Purpose of the article: The aim of the study is to investigate the relationships between economic growth and structural change in the sectional composition of employment in Poland using state-level quarterly data for 2008–2022. It empirically verifies whether economic growth determines structural change or changes in economic structure influence growth in this specific national context, giving insights into a character of the developmental interdependencies. However, the Polish case is only an example of developmental feedbacks that may specify any catching-up economy. Diagnosing the dominating character of the economic relation is of high importance for any modern transforming country and identifying any limitations to the interdependencies may make it possible to avoid the middle-income trap. Methods: The paper examines the causality using Granger-test and analyses the relationships with VAR models. It uses some alternative measures of structural change, namely Norm of Absolute Value (NAV), Modified Lilien Index (MLI), and Clark Index (CI) to catch labour reallocation across sections of economic activity (NACE Rev. 2). They are then adopted in lead-lag models of relationships with economic growth. Findings & value added: The study browses the classical three-sectoral approach to structural transformation using a more detailed structural layout to capture its modern character. Moreover, it compares alternative measures of structural change to derive more detailed conclusions. Methodologically, the study highlights the need for in-depth research into structural change with finer aggregation and measures with different properties. The paper is focused on a specific situation in the Polish economy, for which the relationships have not yet been verified. However, the findings are more universal and may be interesting for any catching-up economy that plans its development policy and needs to focus either on demand- or supply side-relationships. The results suggest rather unidirectional causality running from economic growth to structural change and thus a demand-driven character of the structural modernisation of the Polish economy. This implies the necessity to build stronger inter-sectoral linkages that enable spillover effects that can accelerate growth and induce mutually reinforcing mechanisms of development.

The spatial distribution of economic immigrants from Ukraine and Belarus and the socio-economic development of Polish counties

Following its accession to the EU and the progressing relaxation of the legislation on employment of foreign workers, Poland started to attract more and more job seekers from other countries, mainly from Ukraine, who saw opportunities in its expanding labour market, increasing demand for workers, falling unemployment and rising wages. The inflow of workers from countries east of Poland has benefitted its economy in many ways, including the narrowing of the demographic gap and increased funding for the national budget and the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). This study was undertaken to determine the types of factors causing Ukrainian and Belarusian nationals seeking employment in Poland to prefer one Polish county over the others and to assess their role. Based on the review of studies on the key determinants of migration, and given the limited availability of data, three major groups of factors that can be associated with their choices were selected for analysis – the distance between the migrant’s home and Polish counties, their socioeconomic status, and the presence of migration diasporas. The analysis was performed by means of the widely used gravity models that describe population movements as a function of a geographical distance, and a taxonomic measure of counties’ socio-economic development. The main sources of data used in the article were Statistics Poland (www.stat.gov.pl) and Ministry of Family and Social Policy (https://psz.praca.gov.pl/web/urzad-pracy) and Educational Information System (https://dane.gov.pl/pl/dataset/1426,liczba-uczniow-cudzoziemcow-wedug-gmin/).

DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AS A CHALLENGE FOR TODAY’S MANAGERS

With the challenges that modern organizations face (Mulgan, 2009), diversity management becoming a major issue for managers – from recognizing diversity (identifying it, making people aware of its importance) to planning an effective strategy to manage it. This also requires a deeper understanding of diversity and social inclusion. Many research studies (Gross-Gołacka, 2018; Kuldova, 2012) show that in the 21st century, the success of any organization – regardless of size or industry – will depend on how it manages diversity. Organizations that make diversity management part of their business strategy will be successful. So far, including in Poland, diversity management issues have not been the subject of many specific studies. Diversity management concepts are not implemented reliably in organizations due to a lack of knowledge, analysis, and conclusions. This article aims to identify possible gaps, and cognitive and empirical problems in assessing the preparedness or maturity in diversity management of employers in Poland.

The Family 500+ benefit and changes in female employment in Poland

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between the implementation of the Family 500+ benefit, changes in female employment and female economic inactivity. The analysis is based on macro data and is focused on the years 2016–2019. To examine the relationship, this study uses decomposition of the employment-to-population ratio change into labour supply and unemployment components, analysis of changes in the structure of nonparticipants and the shift-share method. Considering that the reaction to the child benefit may differ across age groups, this study found that since the introduction of the Family 500+ benefit, the employment-to-population ratio for women aged 25–39 (the most likely age group to be raising children and therefore to receive the benefit) stagnated, their labour force participation rate decreased and the percentage of nonparticipants due to family and household responsibilities increased.

The precariat pandemic: Exploitation overshadowed by COVID-19 and workers’ strategies in Poland

Based on the material obtained from focus group interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the article analyses the mechanisms used by employers towards employees, as well as the adaptation strategies applied by those in precarious employment in Poland. The authors’ considerations refer to anti-worker changes introduced under the pretext of the pandemic in the capitalist labour market: layoffs and cuts in wages, manifestations of discrimination against precarious workers and the potential attitudes of employee self-defence. The authors conclude that it is almost certain that under the conditions of post-pandemic capitalism, the number of the precariat will grow and the neoliberal system will want to retain as many of the anti-worker solutions introduced in the shadow of the pandemic as possible.JEL codesJ70, J81, J28

Sectoral changes of employment in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic: Are reallocation shock effects applicable?

The aim of this study is to analyse changes in employment and their determinants in twenty sectors of economic activity in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on the direct short-run employment effects. The changes in employment in the pandemic period (restricted to 2020q2–2021q2) with the changes in the pre-pandemic period (2015q1–2020q1) are compared. Statistics Poland and Eurostat are the sources of data. The analyses are based on quarterly and annual frequencies and cover the period from 2015q1 to 2021q2. Changes in employment are explained by the changes in gross value added, the differences in elasticities of employment with respect to the gross value added and the impact of the pandemic period. The results suggest that employment was affected by a reallocation shock—a decrease in employment that occurred in some sectors (e.g. arts, entertainment and recreation) was associated with an increase in other sectors (e.g. human health and social work activities).

Zatrudnienie w województwach Polski w 2020 roku – pierwszy rok pandemii

Objective: The aim of the paper is to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment level, gender-wise, in Poland’s provinces. Research Design & Methods: The “triple 2’s” method is used to estimate the tendencies in the employment level observed until 2019, which are compared with the real values in 2020. Forecasts are calculated with trend function, autoregression models and simple dynamic indices. Forecasting errors are standardised by standard error of estimation. Findings: The dynamics of the total employment in Poland’s provinces as well as employment dynamics in groups of sections are analysed. The following groups of economic activity are considered: 1) agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishery, 2) industry and construction, 3) trade; automotive services; transport, warehouse management; accommodation, gastronomy; information and communication, 4) finance, insurance; real estate, 5) and other services. The number of employees is expressed per population in productive age (18–64 for men, and 18–59 for women). Changes observed in 2020 are compared to forecasts from trends estimated for 2013–2019 period. Implications / Recommendations: The “triple 2’s” method makes it possible to identify interventions in employment time series. The labour market’s reaction to the pandemic differed by province and group of economic activity sections. In half of provinces, employment varied among both men and women. In three provinces (Lubelskie, Podlaskie, Zachodniopomorskie) the women’s rates varied significantly less while in two (Mazowieckie, Pomorskie), no impact was revealed. Interestingly, in some cases the interventions were positive. Contribution: First analysis in such design plus modification of “triple 2’s” rule. Identification of changes in the dynamics of the total employment rate, by gender, and by section group in the first year of the pandemic.

Financial aspects of unregistered employment in Poland and other Eastern European countries

A review of the specialist literature and analysis of own study results reveal that a scale of the phenomena of undeclared work is both globally and locally significant and differentiated. Comparative research for the entire geographical area is difficult, as these are countries with very diverse economies. This was due to historical conditions, dynamic of socio-political changes and ties with other political alliances, membership in organizations and economic partnerships. The aim of the empirical research was to identify the financial aspects of undertaking work in the grey zone from the workers point of view. The study target group were chosen from unemployed registered at the Municipal Employment Office in Płock, Mazovia Region. Results show that the unemployed turn to undeclared work for financial reasons, such as higher reimbursement, unsatisfactory income or excessively high social insurance contributions. Respondents assessed their financial situation most often as bad, and indicated difficulties in finding work through registered employment. People who undertake work in a grey zone are predominantly those from low income groups, socially excluded, migrants, long time unemployed.

РОЗВИТОК СОЦІАЛЬНОЇ ЕКОНОМІКИ В ПОЛЬЩІ: ДОСВІД ДЛЯ УКРАЇНИ

Розвиток соціальної економіки сприяє підвищенню добробуту населення, що є одним з головних завдань будь-якої держави. Наявність певних соціальних проблем в Україні потребує аналізу іноземних практик реалізації соціальних цілей для зростання рівня життя населення. В умовах євроінтеграційних прагнень такою державою для України є сусідня Польща.Для розкриття цих питань проаналізовано позитивний досвід розвитку соціальної економіки та забезпечення зайнятості в Польщі й окреслено можливості його застосування в Україні. Розглянуто практику соціальної економіки в Польщі, порівняно Україну і Польщу за окремими соціальними індикаторами (кількістю закладів соціального забезпечення, рівнем безробіття, рівнем зайнятості, середньою місячною заробітною платою, рівнем самозайнятості), окреслено напрями реалізації соціального розвитку в Польщі з акцентуванням на їх можливому використанні в Україні. Розглянуто таксономічні методи для визначення соціального розвитку Польщі та змін у сфері ринку праці обох країн. Виокремлено основні детермінанти польської моделі соціальної економіки: стабільний економічний розвиток, що сприяє підвищенню рівня життя; низький рівень безробіття; розвинута соціальна інфраструктура; підвищення середньої заробітної плати; розвинутий недержавний сектор соціального забезпечення; стабільність ринку праці та його здатність адаптуватися до нових викликів.Наголошено на низці проблемних питань у розвитку соціальної економіки в Україні, зокрема відзначено низький рівень заробітної плати порівняно з сусідніми європейськими країнами; високий рівень безробіття; низький рівень самозайнятості населення; високий рівень тіньової економіки. На основі аналізу позитивного досвіду Польщі окреслено ряд можливих напрямів розвитку соціальної економіки в Україні.

Dilemmas of Sheltered Employment in Poland and Greece and the Concept of Supported Employment

People with severe disabilities, such as severe mental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, do not participate in the open, competitive labor market to the same extent as people without disabilities or other forms of disability. Sheltered employment is an internationally accepted approach for the vocational integration of people with severe disabilities, which introduces integration in sheltered workplaces mainly with other people with disabilities and ongoing support from the Government or self-government. Therefore, sheltered employment can be defined as the employment of a person with a disability under particular conditions. This paper presents the legislative framework regarding sheltered employment in Poland and Greece and the ways sheltered employment takes place in each of the two countries with the corresponding comparisons and conclusions. The results show a need for a more precise and more comprehensive legislative framework on sheltered employment in Poland and Greece. Alternative options for the vocational integration of people with severe forms of disabilities, such as supported employment programs, need to come to the fore. Supported employment seems to be the only effective and efficient way for people who have particular difficulties in finding and keeping a paid job in the open labor market to take up paid employment on an equal basis with other people. Does the concept of supported employment have a chance to prove itself on Poland and Greece’s open labor markets and become a complementary tool in the vocational activation of people with disabilities? Legislative regulations, system projects, and stable sources of financing are necessary for both countries.

Women Working in Nonstandard Forms of Employment: Meeting Employee Interests

Purpose: The main aim of this article was to present characteristics of the employment of women working in nonstandard forms of employment in Poland considering employee interests. Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on the narrative literature review, hypotheses and research questions were formulated and the meaning of key categories was clarified. Data for the analysis were derived from quantitative research conducted using the CAWI technique. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,000 working Poles. The analysis of the results was performed using the methods of descriptive statistics and statistical tests to check the correlations between variables. Findings: The research results did not confirm the beneficial effect of nonstandard forms of employment on the labor activation of women. Women do not work in these forms more often than men, but they are more frequently employed involuntarily. The possibility to choose the form of employment is linked to a better meeting of the interests of working women. In the standard forms, women's interests that are satisfied include employment stability, protection and access to social benefits, health services at the employer's expense, good occupational safety and health, training at the employer's expense and assistance during redundancy. In nonstandard forms, these mainly include a good atmosphere and the possibility to influence working time organization. Practical Implications: The results of the research can be used in making the decisions of political character, concerning the applicability and share of particular forms of employment in the labor market. From the perspective of usefulness to employers, important results were obtained concerning the possibilities of choosing the form of employment and meeting specific interests of women. Originality/value: Previous research results have been relatively often based on secondary data from labor markets. A survey questionnaire was used in this project. Original and representative research results were obtained on women's work in nonstandard forms of employment in Poland, taking into account the criteria of voluntariness, type of forms and meeting of employees' interests.

WAGES, EASE OF FINDING A JOB OR DISTANCE FROM HOME? WHAT DETERMINES THE PLACE OF WORK IN POLAND BY ECONOMIC EMIGRANTS FROM UKRAINE

For several years, a high dynamics of growth in the number of foreigners from Eastern European countries taking up employment in Poland has been visible. Undoubtedly, the decline in unemployment, which translates into the ease of finding a job, and the systematic increase in the average salary have an impact on this situation. The aim of this article is to check what and to what extent influences the decision to work by Ukrainian citizens in different regions of the country. This study focuses on three key factors – how the scale of immigration to a given poviat is influenced by the distance at which migrations are undertaken, the level of wages and unemployment in the examined poviats. To achieve the above goal, a popular model describing migrations as a function of geographical distance, called the gravity model, was used. The results of the analysis show that wages are a significant stimulus of economic migration to Poland, and the level of unemployment had a destimulating effect. The estimated values of the parameters indicate a much stronger attracting effect of the level of wages than the impact of unemployment on the migration inflow. Geographic distance is a factor that also limits the intensity of movements. However – as the analysis showed – its limiting influence is much smaller than that of unemployment.

Institutional motivations for hiring international academics in Poland

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to uncover the basic motivations of the administrators (referred to also as “managers”) to hire foreign-born employees in the academic system, which is relatively ethnically homogenous and where the proficiency in Polish is still a strong asset. By doing this, the authors make an attempt to theorise the value of internationalisation of higher education in the academic peripheries.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports the finding of 20 qualitative interviews with the deans and other senior academic officials serving managerial functions at Polish public and private universities.FindingsThe four basic motivations expressed directly by the mangers were (1) the crave for cultural diversity, (2) willingness to “Westernize” the academe, (3) a need for academic achievement and (4) staff shortages. In the discussion, the authors show, however, that the discursive order of these institutional motivations to hire international faculty is incompatible with motivations of international faculty to seek employment in Poland and statistical data regarding their concentration in different academic centres.Originality/valueThe paper tackles crucial issues regarding staffing (including recruitment and retention) and diversity hiring in a country with an “emigration culture”, similar to other East European states, namely a place from which highly skilled workers emigrate. A relocation to Poland is a rather unusual reverse migration, or “stepping down”, to a periphery to use it as a possible stepping stone for career progression.

Estimation of the Size of Informal Employment Based on Administrative Records With Non-Ignorable Selection Mechanism

Abstract In this study, we used company level administrative data from the National Labour Inspectorate and The Polish Social Insurance Institution in order to estimate the prevalence of informal employment in Poland in 2016. Since the selection mechanism is non-ignorable, we employed a generalization of Heckman’s sample selection model assuming non-Gaussian correlation of errors and clustering by incorporation of random effects. We found that 5.7% (4.6%, 7.1%; 95% CI ) of registered enterprises in Poland, to some extent, take advantage of the informal labour force. Our study exemplifies a new approach to measuring informal employment, which can be implemented in other countries. It also contributes to the existing literature by providing, to the best of our knowledge, the first estimates of informal employment at the level of companies based solely on administrative data.

Russians on the Polish Labour Market

The article looks into the employment of Russian citizens in Poland in 2004–2018. It presents the legal basis for Russians’ entering Poland and taking up work without having to seek a work permit, and specifies who must apply for such a permit. Russian citizens can obtain refugee status under the Geneva Convention, which grants them the right to move freely, choose their place of residence and undertake paid employment, while guaranteeing social security. On the basis of the Act on granting protection to aliens, citizens of the Russian Federation may obtain subsidiary protection if their return to their country of origin may expose them to a real risk of serious harm. A tolerated stay is granted to aliens where an alien might be expelled to a country in which their life, freedom and personal security would be jeopardised, where they could be subjected to torture, degrading treatment, humiliation, forced to work or deprived of the right to a fair trial. Training and employment can be undertaken in Poland under the bilateral agreements between Poland and Russia: the Treaty on friendly and good-neighbourly cooperation and the Cooperation Agreement in the fields of science, culture and education. In Poland, the entry and stay of foreign nationals is governed by the Act on aliens, their education by the Higher Education Act, whereas the employment of foreigners is regulated by the Act on employment promotion and labour market institutions. The empirical basis of the study was provided by the analysis of data from the Polish Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and the Demographic Yearbook. Russians constitute the third largest group (after Ukrainians and Belarusians) of the post-Soviet States’ citizens coming to Poland. The analysis conducted showed that employment in Poland was chiefly sought by the citizens of the Russian Federation who arrived in Poland for a limited period and for permanent residence. In 2004, the Russians represented 4.4% and in 2018 – 0,66% of all foreigners who received work permits in Poland. Before 2015 some Russian nationals took up work in Poland as the managers of their own companies. Since 2015, there has been an influx of workers from Russia in three occupational groups: IT specialists, skilled workers and workers in elementary occupations. Most of the Russians were employed in the wholesale and retail, information and communication, construction, transport and warehousing sectors, which were the same sectors where Polish entrepreneurs reported demand for Russian workers. The demand significantly exceeded the number of Russians employed.

Optimal Size of the Public Sector in Poland in Terms of Employment

The paper contributes to the literature on the public sector optimal size. The most common approach to measure the optimal size of the public sector is based on government expenditures. The authors propose a broader approach to public sector size measurement and define it by the share in the gross value of fixed assets and the share in employment. The approach is based on the stocks of accumulated capital and labour. Contrary to most of the literature, it gives a clear answer on the optimal employment share in the public sector that leads to maximizing gross domestic product per capita. The authors use Poland as an interesting case study. Public sector size in Poland evolved during 2002–2014, thus at some point it may have achieved the optimal size. The authors analyse the effects of changes in the public sector size on gross domestic product per capita. The authors find that: (a) agricultural sector seriously lowers private sector productivity; (b) the optimal share of the public sector employment in Poland is 20%, and 24% excluding agriculture; (c) the actual share of the public sector in employment in 2014 was one percentage point larger than that which would maximize gross domestic product per capita; (d) there is significant inefficiency in the production process in Poland that can be explained by suboptimal public sector share.

Migrants in the Polish Labour Market – Challenges for Human Resources Management

The article addresses selected issues related to the migrant employment in Poland. It offers insight into the most important trends in the situation of migrant workers in the Polish labor market and discusses how observable changes will influence human resources management. The article begins with an overview of general situation of migrants in the labor market in Poland, which is based on the analysis of available statistical data. The second chapter presents and discusses briefly the potential challenges for human resources management in Polish enterprises.