The number of professionally active seniors in Poland rose by 4% from January to October 2025, driven by demographic shifts, according to the Polish Economic Institute.
Seniors Re-entering the Workforce
From January to October 2025, the number of professionally active seniors in Poland increased by 4%, according to a report by the Polish Economic Institute (PIE). The Institute attributes the growing participation of retirees in the Polish labor market, in part, to demographic changes.
The PIE noted an increase in the number of employees of retirement age on the Polish labor market. Between January and October 2025, the number of people over 65 working increased by 4% to 524,000. This growth in senior employment outpaced other age groups, while employment in the youngest age category (15-24 years) decreased by 2.4%.
Where Seniors Work Most Often
According to PIE, 57% of all professionally active seniors work in micro-enterprises, defined as those with up to 9 employees. The Institute believes this is because many seniors run their own businesses or support family businesses on a part-time basis. In contrast, the proportion of working seniors in large companies employing over 1,000 people is only around 6.7%.
Sectors Employing the Most Seniors
PIE reported that seniors most frequently work in “traditional sectors of the economy”—specifically, trade and industry, employing 14.1% and 12.7% of workers over 65, respectively. Healthcare employs 11.7% of seniors, education employs 10.4%, and agriculture employs 8.6%.
Reasons for the Increase in Working Retirees
The Institute explained that the growing proportion of people over 65 on the Polish labor market is due, in part, to demographic changes. A long-term decline in birth rates is manifesting in the labor market as smaller cohorts entering the workforce compared to those reaching retirement age.
In 2024, the average size of the cohort entering the labor market (aged 20-24) was 353,000, while the average size of the cohort nearing retirement age was 450,000.
About the Polish Economic Institute
The Polish Economic Institute is a public economic think tank that prepares reports, analyses, and recommendations on key areas of the economy and social life. (PAP)
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