January 10, 2024

Poland as a Stopover for Ukrainian Citizens on Their Way West

Every second temporary worker from Ukraine waits in Poland and observes how the situation in their homeland will develop. The number of those willing to leave Poland for the West is lower than it was a year ago. As many as 59% of respondents do not plan to leave Poland for any country other than Ukraine, which is a 15 percentage point increase compared to last year. One of the limitations is the language barrier, as only one in four Ukrainian citizens declares communicative knowledge of English.

How do workers from Ukraine assess work and life in Poland in 2023, and what are their plans for the coming months? We present the results of the latest report from the international employment agency OTTO Work Force.


Ukrainian Citizens Settling in Poland

When asked about their plans for the coming months, Ukrainian citizens most often replied that they want to wait in Poland and see how the situation in Ukraine develops – 54% of respondents. This is an 11 percentage point increase compared to 2022, when 43% of respondents gave such an answer. Meanwhile, 30% of respondents plan to start learning Polish, and in this case, we see an 8 percentage point decrease in popularity of this response compared to last year. Finding independent housing is planned by 29% of respondents, marking an 8 percentage point increase. The number of responses regarding bringing family from Ukraine to Poland has decreased by 10%.

Tomasz Dudek:

"The plans of our temporary workers for the coming months are primarily focused on further stay in Poland, learning the Polish language, and finding independent housing. Comparing the results of the survey with last year's data, it is evident that responses related to staying in Poland and the desire for independence have gained popularity. Therefore, it can be assumed that Ukrainian citizens are feeling increasingly confident in Poland and will want to establish a longer-term connection with our country."

Ukrainians No Longer Eager to Travel West

Among the surveyed Ukrainian citizens, as many as 59% responded that they do not plan to leave Poland for any country other than Ukraine, which represents a 15 percentage point increase compared to last year. However, only 16% said they plan to leave Poland for a country other than Ukraine, marking a 6 percentage point decrease from 2022. Those surveyed who are planning to leave for another country most frequently indicated Germany (18% of respondents) and Canada/USA (15% of respondents). Every second respondent declaring departure has family or friends in the country they have chosen.


Almost Half of Ukrainian Citizens Speak Polish

According to the OTTO Work Force report, nearly half of the temporary workers from Ukraine declare that they know Polish to a communicative extent. Meanwhile, one in four respondents declares knowledge of English. At the same time, as many as 30% of those surveyed indicated that they do not know any foreign language.

Tomasz Dudek:

"The ongoing war in Ukraine is still prolonging, which is leading refugees to settle more firmly in Poland. Ukrainian children are attending Polish schools and kindergartens, and their parents are striving to adapt more to the Polish job market. Nearly half of the temporary workers from Ukraine declare communicative knowledge of the Polish language, indicating that Ukrainian citizens have used the last few months to learn the language, allowing them to feel even more comfortable in Poland. At the same time, only one in four respondents declares knowledge of English. It can be assumed, therefore, that the language barrier is one of the reasons why as many as 59% of workers from Ukraine do not plan to leave Poland for another country. Of course, the geographical proximity of Poland and the possibility to visit family members who remained in Ukraine are also significant factors."

Find out more

Do you need up-to-date information on OTTO Work Force? Do you have questions about the current situation on the labor market? Do you want to know the details of our research? Contact us!

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Contact

Jolanta Jamioł‑Juszczak
Communication Manager

tel.: + 48 519 687 787
e-mail: [email protected]

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