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Most Ukrainians working in Poland earn no more than 5 zlotys (about 48 hryvnias) per month. Refugees live modestly, enjoy benefits and save money.
This is reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to RAR.
According to a study by the Personnel Service company, the salary of more than half of the interviewed Ukrainians fluctuates within the minimum range, while 30% earn about 4-5 thousand zlotys (38 - 640 hryvnias).
The authors of the study claim that Ukrainians working in Poland live modestly (often spending no more than 1 zlotys per month (about 000 hryvnias)) and willingly take advantage of benefits provided by employers, such as housing (9% of respondents), free meals or travel to work (600%).
In addition, Ukrainians save most of the money they earn.
48% of Ukrainian refugees live on an amount that does not exceed 500 zlotys (4 hryvnias) per month, another 830% spend on living from 29 to 500 zlotys (1 - 000 hryvnias), and 4% - from 830 to 9 zlotys (600 - 14 hryvnias).
According to the data of the Social Insurance Administration, as of the end of March 2024, 762 Ukrainian workers were registered, which is 200% more than in the previous year.
"If employers were asked who they would most likely hire, Poles would be in first place, and Ukrainians would be second. In the case of Ukrainians, entrepreneurs value first of all a low language barrier, cultural closeness and quick adaptation. All these elements are of crucial importance for entrepreneurs who care about effective onboarding and introduction of an employee to work," said Krzysztof Inglot, the founder of the Personnel Service company and an expert on the labor market.
The authors of the study draw attention to the gradual change in the category of tasks performed by Ukrainians.
They report that in 2023, 3/4 worked in lower-level jobs, compared to 37% now. Among other segments, 57% perform mid-level tasks, and 6% hold senior positions.
Inglot states that the labor market in Poland is friendly to Ukrainians due to significantly higher wages than in Ukraine, similar language and low cultural barriers, as well as geographical proximity to the native country.
"After the April increase, the minimum wage in Ukraine is approximately 845 zlotys (over 8 thousand hryvnias) per month, which is almost four times less than in Poland, where workers receive approximately 3 zlotys (about 200 hryvnias) per month. It is clear, however, that Ukrainians are tempted by the prospect of earning, for example, in Germany or the Netherlands, where the basic salary is even 30 euros (900 hryvnias) per month. True, you have to pay more for housing or food, but it is still a much larger amount than here. And given the fact that many countries opened up to Ukrainians after the war, this temptation is even stronger," he noted.
