Poland Corporate Wage Growth Exceeds Estimates

Poland's corporate sector wages rose 6.6% year-on-year to PLN 9,652.19 in March 2026, exceeding market expectations of 6.3% and picking up from 6.1% in the previous two months. Gains were seen in the mining and quarrying sector (6.7%), manufacturing (6.6%), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (2.5%), and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (11.6%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary jumped 5.7%, up from 1.5% in February. The rise was mainly driven by a larger volume of additional payments, including bonuses and awards such as quarterly, annual, Easter, and discretionary payouts, along with general wage increases. On a year-to-date basis, corporate sector wages grew 6.2%.

Poland's corporate sector wages rose 6.1% year-on-year to PLN 9,135.69 in February 2026, falling short of market expectations of 6.6% and matching the pace in the previous month. Gains were seen in the manufacturing sector (6.5%), agriculture, forestry, and mining (2.6%), and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (8.6%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary increased 1.5%, reversing a 6.1% decline in January. The rise was mainly driven by larger additional payments, including bonuses, annual and service anniversary awards, as well as general wage and salary increases. On a year-to-date basis, corporate sector wages grew 5.9%.

Poland's corporate sector wages rose by 6.1% year-on-year to PLN 9,002.47 in January 2026, falling short of market expectations of 7.2% and slowing from 8.6% in the previous month. It marked the weakest annual wage growth since February 2021, as gains moderated across most sectors, particularly manufacturing (5.9% vs 8.8%), agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing (2.7% vs 36.9%), and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (2.6% vs 13%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary slumped 6.1%, reversing a 5.6% increase in December. The decline was primarily due to the absence of additional payments in January that had been made in December 2025, such as Christmas bonuses and awards for Miners’ Day, as well as smaller discretionary, annual, performance, and anniversary bonuses.