9,259 złoty on average: Wages in Poland rise 5.6%, while employment falls 0.8%

The average gross salary in the Polish corporate sector reached 9,259.54 złoty in August. That is 5.6% more than a year earlier. The Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS) released the figure on September 21. At the National Bank of Poland’s (NBP) mid-market exchange rate on the same day, this amounts to approximately 2,126 euros.

Employment declined in the same month. The number of people employed in the corporate sector was 0.8% lower than in August 2025. Compared to July, the figure fell by 0.2%. Consumer prices rose by 3.4% in August. Wages are thus growing 2.2 percentage points faster than prices.

Compared to July, gross pay fell by 2.6% in nominal terms. In Poland, July typically includes bonus payments. The year-over-year comparison therefore remains the most reliable metric.

Industry is catching up; producer prices are rising more sharply

Industrial production in August was 4.3% higher than in the same month a year ago. A year earlier, GUS reported an increase of only 0.7%. Compared to July, production plummeted by 7.5%. On a seasonally adjusted basis, this represents a 3.0% increase year-over-year and a 1.2% decline from July.

From January through August, industrial production grew by 3.5%. In the same period last year, it was 2.0%. Industrial producer prices rose by 4.2% in August. They are thus rising faster than consumer prices.

Construction is driving growth, while households are holding back

Construction output rose by 6.7% in August compared with the same month a year earlier. Compared with July, it fell by 0.6%. On a seasonally adjusted basis, this represents an increase of 4.3% year-over-year and 1.9% compared with July. Producer prices in the construction sector rose by 6.2%.

From January through August, Polish developers delivered 4.5% more apartments than a year earlier. The consumer confidence index stood at minus 10.8 in September. Households thus continue to view their situation negatively.

The central bank is holding steady. On September 9, the Monetary Policy Council (Rada Polityki Pieniężnej) left the benchmark interest rate at 3.75%. “The Council decided to keep the NBP’s interest rates unchanged,” the NBP announced that day. The Lombard rate stands at 4.25%, and the deposit rate at 3.25%.

For German exporters and investors, the math is changing. Poland remains a growing market, but the cost advantage is dwindling. Wages are rising by 5.6%, while workforces are shrinking. Companies that manufacture in Poland are negotiating higher rates for 2027. Those purchasing Polish intermediate goods face producer prices that are rising by 4.2%. The construction sector, on the other hand, is generating orders: a 6.7% increase is opening up opportunities for German suppliers of building materials and plant engineering.

Sources: Główny Urząd Statystyczny – GUS (PL), Narodowy Bank Polski – NBP (PL/EN).

SK, Frankfurt