Labor Market and Salaries in Manufacturing and Logistics 2026

Staff shortages are increasingly affecting the business continuity of manufacturing and logistics companies. 62.6% of enterprises in these sectors reported disruptions related to labor shortages at least six times a year, and 96% pointed to a heavier burden on remaining team members. At the same time, in more than half of the companies, staff shortages limit the ability to accept new orders and expand operations, according to the latest Gi Group report "Labor Market and Salaries in Manufacturing and Logistics 2026".

Economic climate in manufacturing and logistics: slight positive changes

In September 2026, assessments of the economic climate in manufacturing as well as transportation and storage were slightly better than a year earlier. In manufacturing, the general business climate indicator stood at -5.8 compared to -6.5 a year ago. Negative assessments still prevailed, but their margin decreased slightly. In transportation and storage, the indicator rose from +1 to +1.6.

According to Statistics Poland (GUS) data, in April 2026, 2.72 million people were employed in manufacturing, and 910,000 in transportation and storage. In the second quarter of this year, 24,700 job vacancies were recorded in industry (2,700 more than a year earlier) and 9,800 in transportation and storage. Together, these sectors accounted for approximately 35% of all job openings in Poland.

Fewer job postings in manufacturing, more stable demand in warehousing

Data from one of Poland's leading job portals shows that from January to August 2026, approximately 82,900 manufacturing job offers were published, compared to 93,000 in the corresponding period of the previous year. This represents a decline of about 11%, similar to the overall analyzed job board market trend (-10.5%). However, not all occupational groups recorded weaker results. In maintenance, the number of postings increased slightly – by 1.2% year-on-year.

A more stable situation is observed in the warehousing industry. In the first eight months of the year, approximately 35,300 job offers in warehouses and distribution centers were published, virtually the same as the previous year (a 0.2% decrease). In logistics, the number of postings fell by about 3%, and in freight forwarding by about 4%.

– After a period of significant turbulence, the demand for manufacturing and logistics workers is clearly stabilizing, although its scale varies depending on the region and the required competencies. It is worth remembering that the industrial sector is a key pillar of the Polish economy, and together with transportation and logistics, it accounts for nearly 25% of all employed persons – explains Agnieszka Zielińska, Director of the Polish HR Forum.

Staff shortages, absenteeism, and turnover – the biggest challenges for companies

The impact of staffing challenges on operational continuity in manufacturing and logistics companies does not come down to a single main problem. Companies attribute the highest risk to business continuity to an insufficient number of available candidates – an average of 3.56 on a five-point scale. Unplanned employee absences (3.51), a shortage of people with the required skills or certifications (3.48), and high turnover (3.42) obtained similar scores. The differences between these four factors are so small that none can be considered clearly dominant.

A similar picture emerges from the analysis of ratings 4 and 5, indicating high and very high risk. In the case of absenteeism, 56% of companies indicated it as such, candidate shortages – 54%, skills shortages – 52%, and turnover – 51%. In each of these areas, more than half of enterprises see a significant threat to operational stability.

– Ensuring adequate staffing levels while controlling labor costs is one of the significant challenges for manufacturing and logistics companies. Understaffing can lead to difficulties in fulfilling orders or a greater burden on the team. On the other hand, maintaining staffing at a level that covers every possible absence would generate additional costs. The challenge is therefore to find a balance between profitability and ensuring workflow continuity. It becomes particularly important to determine which positions and skills are of priority importance to the company's operations and how long it can function with labor shortages. This is not just a matter of HR policy itself, but above all of business risk management – comments Antonio Carvelli, CEO of Gi Group.

Staff shortages disrupt companies' operations up to a dozen or more times a year

The results of a study conducted for Gi Group among 100 manufacturing and logistics companies show how frequently staff shortages disrupt their operations. As many as 62.6% of surveyed enterprises indicated that such situations occurred at least six times in the last 12 months. In the case of 37.4% of companies, disruptions occurred 6 to 11 times, and 25.2% experienced them at least 12 times. About one-fifth of organizations had this type of problem once or twice.

More than half of the respondents considered absenteeism (56%), limited candidate availability (54%), skills shortages (52%), and turnover (51%) to be a high or very high risk to operational continuity.

Consequences of staff shortages

The remaining team members are the first to feel the consequences of unplanned staff shortages. As many as 96% of companies pointed to their heavier workload, and 91% to an increase in overtime hours. In 85% of enterprises, additional duties also fall on foremen, shift supervisors, and direct managers. According to the Gi Group report "Labor Market and Salaries in Manufacturing and Logistics 2026", the consequences go beyond work organization. More than half of companies report increased operating costs (56%), limited capacity to take on new orders or expand business scale (55%), and difficulties in meeting schedules and timely order processing (53%). In 44% of enterprises, unplanned staffing shortages lead to reductions or temporary shutdowns of certain processes. In turn, 40% of companies point to deteriorating quality or an increase in errors.

The significance of this problem is also shown by the results of Gi Group Holding's "Labor Market Barometer 2026". Among employees, 36.7% point to too many simultaneous tasks as an obstacle to effective work, and 36.2% point to exhaustion or stress. In the group of people reporting overload of duties, 20.9% notice a slowdown in the pace or efficiency of work, while 19.2% more often notice errors or a decline in its quality.

– The costs of staff shortages cannot be reduced solely to spending on recruitment, replacements, or overtime hours. It is much more difficult to capture their impact on productivity. A plant may maintain adequate staffing levels and yet work less efficiently if part of the team is overloaded, new employees require onboarding, and shift managers have to take on operational tasks. In such a situation, the company gradually loses the ability to respond swiftly to changes, and the effects may appear in timely order delivery or customer service quality. Therefore, staffing problems should also be analyzed through the lens of operational performance. Only by combining these variables can we assess the real scale of risk and costs – says Agnieszka Żak, Key Account Director at Gi Group.

Response to periodic staff shortages

In situations of sudden or periodic labor shortages, companies most often introduce changes in work organization. 79% of them frequently or very frequently modify schedules, and 74% assign overtime. Nearly seven in ten enterprises (69%) reassign workers between positions, departments, or shifts. Stepping up recruitment activities was cited as a frequent or very frequent response by 67% of respondents, and reorganization of work or processes by 59%. Less frequently, companies cooperate with employment agencies and hire foreign workers – in both cases, the proportion of answers was 38%. The least frequently used solution is scaling back certain tasks, production, or operations (24% of companies).

Every second company has a contingency plan for staff shortages

Economic uncertainty, market volatility, pressure to increase efficiency, and adverse demographic trends mean that preparing businesses for labor shortages is becoming increasingly important. However, not all organizations have fully implemented solutions to anticipate such situations and mitigate their impact.

·        The most commonly used practice is standardizing the onboarding process for new employees – it is fully operational in 53% of the surveyed companies.

·        Half (49%) of enterprises have ready-made action scenarios in place for unplanned staffing shortages, and 43% regularly monitor absenteeism, turnover, and staff shortages.

·        Less frequently do organizations have designated backups for key positions or employees cross-trained for various roles – such solutions are fully operational in 37% and 36% of organizations, respectively. In a significant portion of companies, however, they are implemented partially or are still being developed. The situation is similar with partnering with an external provider – 37% of companies use this fully, and 48% partially.

·        Only 21% of companies have fully implemented workforce demand forecasting, although another 63% declare that they use this practice partially or are in the process of implementing it. Companies are least likely to build a pool of candidates ready to start work on short notice – only 13% fully utilize this solution, every second company does so partially, and 35% not at all.

– Ad hoc actions help reduce the impact of sudden staff shortages. It is essential to monitor generational demographics, employee satisfaction, and turnover levels, which enables the identification of future staffing shortages before they negatively affect the organization's operation. Developing employee competencies and ensuring continuous knowledge transfer are also of significant importance. In the context of demographic changes, a strategic advantage will be achieved by those organizations that make their processes independent of the availability of individual specialists in good time and implement systemic workforce planning – concludes Anna Wesołowska, Managing Director of Gi Group.

Link to the report: https://pl.gigroup.com/dla-pracodawcow/raporty-rynkowe/rynek-pracy-i-wynagrodzenia-w-produkcji-i-logistyce/?utm_source=press&utm_medium=komunikat&utm_campaign=gi_placowy_2026

About the report

Gi Group's "Labor Market and Salaries in Manufacturing and Logistics" report was prepared based on Statistics Poland (GUS) data, an analysis of job postings published on one of Poland's largest job portals, and up-to-date salary data collected in August 2026. The study presents the results of research conducted by the Fast Solutions Research Agency on behalf of Gi Group among 100 companies from the manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and distribution sectors. The study was carried out using CATI and CAWI methods between August 19 and September 2, 2026.