š New Recruitment Destinations: Which Countries Are Companies Most Eager to Hire Foreign Workers From in 2026?
The number of legally employed foreign nationals in Poland has reached a record high of nearly 1.3 million. Although Ukraine was the natural first choice for many employers for years, the landscape of labour migration has changed irrevocably.
The period of mass influx of workers from across the eastern border has come to an end, forcing Polish businesses to diversify their recruitment sources. Today, every fourth company in Poland planning international recruitment is looking for candidates in entirely new regions of the world.
Which countries are becoming the new 'talent hubs' for Polish industry, logistics, and services? We examine the key market trends.
1. South America: The Colombia Phenomenon
Colombia has become one of the most dynamically growing recruitment markets for Poland. The number of Colombian citizens registered with the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) has already crossed the 19.5 thousand threshold.
Why is it gaining popularity? Workers from Colombia are characterized by an exceptionally high level of loyalty toward their employers and strong motivation. The economic crisis and difficult local job market conditions in South America make stable employment in Poland highly attractive to them.
Where do they perform best? The manufacturing sector, food processing, and logistics.
2. Southeast Asia: Stable Philippines and Indonesia
Filipiny (ponad 15,5 tys. pracownikĆ³w w Polsce) oraz Indonezja to kraje, z ktĆ³rych rekrutacja przestaÅa byÄ traktowana jako āegzotyczny eksperymentā, a staÅa siÄ przemyÅlanÄ strategiÄ biznesowÄ Ā dużych przedsiÄbiorstw.
The Philippines (over 15.5 thousand workers in Poland) and Indonesia are countries from which recruitment is no longer treated as an 'exotic experiment,' but has become a deliberate business strategy for large enterprises.
Where do they perform best? The TSL sector (Transport-Shipping-Logistics), the electronics industry, hospitality (Horeca), and healthcare/caregiving
3. South Asia: India and Nepal
The number of registered workers with ZUS from India alone has already approached the level of 25 thousand. Together with Nepal, they constitute a powerful pillar for sectors requiring physical stamina and readiness for shift work.
Why are they gaining popularity? These countries have vast, very young populations struggling with a lack of prospects at home. For a Polish employer, this means access to a flexible candidate base eager to work overtime and multi-shift schedules.
Where do they perform best? Construction, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and as couriers and drivers in the delivery industry.
Traditional destinations remain strong, but with a new dynamic
Of course, the shift in trends does not mean that workers from Eastern Europe have disappeared from the Polish market. Citizens of Ukraine (857 thousand registered with ZUS) and Belarus (138.7 thousand) still form the workforce backbone of many enterprises. However, their profile is changing: instead of temporary work, they are increasingly seeking stable and specialized employment, while the number of newly arriving manual workers is decreasing. The importance of Georgia (26 thousand) and Moldova (14 thousand), which benefit from simplified legalization procedures, is also growing.
š ļø Challenge for business: Formal and cultural barriers
Geographic diversification is an excellent way for companies to ensure business process continuity, but it raises new challenges. Recruitment from such distant countries as Colombia or the Philippines involves:
Longer wait times for visa and consular procedures,
Language and cultural barriers on production floors,
The need to implement new onboarding procedures and diversity management.
This is precisely why Polish companies are less and less frequently recruiting on their own, shifting this burden onto specialized employment agencies instead. An experienced agency not only efficiently navigates consular procedures, but also provides coordinators fluent in the workers' native languages, which eliminates the communication barrier from day one on the job.
