The number of temporary employees declined by 18% in the second quarter of 2018 when compared to the same period in 2017, according to the Polish Human Resources Forum (Polskie Forum HR).

The Forum said there was an estimated 323,000 temporary employees in the second quarter, down from 394,000 in the previous year.

Low unemployment as well as a constant labour shortage and a growing trend of firms hiring and employing workers directing had an impact on temporary work.

Looking ahead, in November Poland will see restrictions on the length of employment for a temporary employee as part of the amendment to the Act on Employment of Temporary Agency Workers. The Forum expects that as a consequence this will lead to a further decrease in the number of temporary employees.

Meanwhile, the Forum also published data on the value of the temporary jobs market in the second quarter of 2018 with the value rising by 2% compared to the same period of the previous year, but dropping by 3% as compared to the previous quarter. During the period, Forum member companies generated a turnover of PLN 870 million (€202.7 million).

Within recruitment services, Forum member companies generated a turnover of PLN 39.5 million (€10.7 million) in the second quarter, of which PLN 34.6 million (€9.4 million) was generated by Polish companies while the rest was generated by foreign employers.