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More working seniors in Poland: study

12.04.2026 16:45
The number of people working beyond retirement age in Poland is on the rise, driven in part by demographic changes, according to a study by a Warsaw think tank.
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Between January and October last year, the number of employed people aged 65 and over increased by 4 percent to 524,000, the Polish Economic Institute (PIE) think tank said.

Employment growth among seniors outpaced that of other age groups, while employment among those aged 15 to 24 fell by 2.4 percent.

The report found that 57 percent of economically active seniors work in microfirms employing up to nine people. The Polish Economic Institute said this reflects the fact that many older individuals run their own businesses or support family enterprises on a part-time basis.

By contrast, seniors account for just 6.7 percent of employees in large companies with more than 1,000 workers.

Older workers are most commonly employed in traditional sectors of the economy. About 14.1 percent work in trade and 12.7 percent in industry, while 11.7 percent are employed in healthcare, 10.4 percent in education and 8.6 percent in agriculture.

The institute said the growing share of older workers is linked to long-term demographic trends, including declining birth rates.

"Cohorts entering the labour market are about half the size of those reaching retirement age," the report said.

In 2024, around 353,000 people aged 20-24 entered the labour market, compared with about 450,000 in cohorts approaching retirement age, the study found.

(gs)

Source: PAP