Poland Corporate Wage Growth Rises in May

Poland's corporate sector wages rose 5.9% year-on-year to PLN 9,401.58 in June 2026, exceeding market expectations of 5.6% and edging up from 5.8% in the previous month. Wage growth accelerated across several sectors, including manufacturing (6.6% vs 5.1% in May), mining and quarrying (2.4% vs 2.3%), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1.9% vs 1.6%), construction (6.3% vs 5.4%), real estate activities (7.7% vs 6.9%), professional, scientific, and technical activities (9.3% vs 7.9%), and water supply; sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities (7.1% vs 6.7%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary rebounded by 2.5%, following a 3.8% drop in May. The recovery was mainly driven by a higher volume of additional payments, including bonuses and awards such as quarterly, annual, incentive, and discretionary payments, as well as service anniversary awards and pay raises. Year-to-date, corporate sector wages grew 5.8%.

Poland's corporate sector wages rose 5.8% year-on-year to PLN 9,173.24 in May 2026, falling short of market expectations of 6% and following an over five-year low of 5.4% in the previous month. Gains were seen across most sectors, driven by a rebound in mining and quarrying (2.3% vs -11.0% in April) and faster wage growth in electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply (7.1% vs 3.8%), water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (6.7% vs 5.9%), transportation and storage (6.4% vs 5.5%), and information and communication (7.1% vs 5.8%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary declined 3.8%, following a 1.3% drop in April. The decrease was mainly driven by the absence or reduced volume of additional payments, including bonuses and awards such as quarterly, annual, incentive and discretionary payments, as well as service anniversary awards. Year-to-date, corporate sector wages grew 5.9%.

Poland's corporate sector wages rose 5.4% year-on-year to PLN 9,530.74 in April 2026, falling short of market expectations of 6% and following a 6.6% increase in the previous month. It marked the weakest annual wage growth since February 2021, as gains moderated across most sectors, particularly manufacturing (5.7% vs 6.6% in March) and electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (3.8% vs 11.6%), while wages declined in mining and quarrying (-11.0% vs 6.7%). On a monthly basis, the average gross salary declined 1.3%, reversing a 5.7% increase in March. The decrease was mainly driven by a reduced volume of additional payments, including bonuses and awards such as quarterly, annual, and Easter payments. On a year-to-date basis, corporate sector wages grew 5.9%.