Nearly a quarter, or 24%, of employees in Poland are considering moving abroad next year for work, according to Randstad Poland and Polskie HR Forum.

The data showed that of those who are considering moving abroad 4% plan to move permanently while 10% plan to move for a fixed period (from six months to two years) and 10% are not sure for how long.

The main reason why employees consider economic emigration is the desire to get a better-paid job on better terms, with 63% of those surveyed citing this as a factor.

The top three countries that Polish employees would consider moving to are Germany (27%), the UK (21%) and the Netherlands (12%).

Monika Fedorczuk, labour market expert of the Lewiatan Confederation said that average wages in Poland, despite a significant increase in recent years, are still lower than in Western European countries.

“It should be noted that the vast majority of those who consider leaving for work, think about emigration for no longer than two years, i.e. it is rather a desire to earn money for a specific purpose rather than a permanent change. People with primary and vocational education are most likely to go abroad. For these people, the difference in earnings in Poland and abroad can be significant,” Fedorczuk said.