Polish law will soon catch up with the labour market and be in tune with the realities and challenges of the 21st century. It will also respond to the actual needs and expectations of employers, job seekers from Poland and abroad as well as companies looking for staff.

On 11 April 2025, President Andrzej Duda signed the acts on the labour market and employment services and on the conditions for allowing foreign nationals to work in the territory of the Republic of Poland.

The drafts of both acts were developed by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. Both acts implement the milestones enshrined in the National Recovery Plan.

Labour Market and Employment Services Act

To date, a significant obstacle for jobseekers has been the need to register at the employment office corresponding to their registered address rather than their actual place of residence. The Labour Market and Employment Services Act changes this requirements. It also removes age restrictions on access to a number of labour market instruments, including the attractive job placement voucher. In addition, unemployment benefits will be paid in full regardless of the period of entitlement.

The new act also envisages the implementation of a new ICT system enabling jobseekers to obtain support online, as well as providing better access to good quality job offers.

What else?

• the possibility of subsidising the employment of a pensioner;
• enabling farmers to register with Job Centres;
• priority assistance for unemployed persons from families with many children and single parents;
• increasing the efficiency and accessibility of the National Training Fund;
• the introduction of an education loan of up to 400% of the average salary;

Act on the conditions of admissibility of employment of foreign nationals in the territory of the Republic of Poland

The aim of the act is to safeguard Polish workers so that they do not have to fear unfair competition and job loss. It also protects foreign nationals from abuses and violations of the law while offering clear and friendly rules for entrepreneurs facing labour shortages.

One of the most important objectives of the act on the conditions of admissibility of employment of foreign nationals in the territory of the Republic of Poland is to counteract the issue of fraudulent work permits for entry into the Schengen area. This will be achieved by introducing new features in ICT systems, bolstering the impact of public employment services on the authorisation process, and ensuring interoperability of the ICT systems managed by different institutions.

What is more, the Act gives starosts the right to define a list of professions and kinds of work in which work permits will not be issued to foreign nationals intending to take up employment in a given district. This will be possible in the case of layoffs and closures of major companies operating in a given district. The new mechanism will replace the inefficient and burdensome procedure of the so-called labour market test for employers.