Seniors in the Polish labor market (data for 2025)
Employment of people aged over 65 increased by 4.0% between January and October 2025.
Employment growth: The number of employed people aged 65+ increased by 4.0% (to 524 thousand people), while the 15–24 age group recorded a decline of 2.4%.
Dominance of micro-enterprises: As many as 57% of employed seniors choose micro-enterprises (up to 9 people). This is often due to running their own business or working in family companies, which offer greater flexibility. In large corporations (1000+), they account for only 6.7% of staff.
Key sectors: Seniors most often join trade (14.1%) and industry (12.7%). However, their role is critical in healthcare (11.7%) and education (10.4%), where they fill staffing gaps resulting from an aging society.
Causes of the phenomenon:
Demographics: Cohorts entering the labor market are nearly 100 thousand people smaller than those retiring.
Economics: The lower value of pension benefits relative to final earnings forces people to continue working.
Incentives: Tax reliefs (e.g., PIT exemption for working seniors introduced in 2022).
