In Poland it is difficult for good and experienced welders. Unfortunately our schools do not prepare enough such specialists. On those of Ukraine we have no chance, because most of them employ Russian companies like Gazprom. So there are the Asian markets where the workers are good and they are now working in for eg. Saudi Arabia. It is only a matter of time before they are brought to us massively.

The beginnings of the recession of non-European recruitment now begin to be observed on the Polish labour market. Only this year, almost 4,000 applications for employment permission have been deposited for Nepal, India and Bangladesh citizens. Currently the demand for candidates is enormous, because as many as 4 out of 10 companies are planning to open recruitment in the coming months. At the same time, more than half of employers claim, that there are problems with gaining candidates.

For the past few years the labour market has been assisted by the Ukrainians. And of course, they still represent the largest group of foreign workers, but there are first signs that this workforce is not enough. There is considerable competition in the market, and some Ukrainians are also starting to travel to the West, so less attractive industries suffer from staff shortages. Most of them are lacking in food processing, which in Poland is a very important part of the economy, in construction and specialist industries such as logistics and mechanics.

As a result, the majority of workers from these exotic destinations work where there are specialized companies in these lucrative industries. In Mazovia, nearly 700 Indians and almost 1.2 thousand Nepalese were admitted to work this year. In Warmińsko-Mazurskie, where such consent was received only by 2 thousand of foreign workers, as many as 155 are from Bangladesh. Surprisingly, many of these approvals in Podlasie were received by the Turks (over 100), where only a thousand positive opinions were issued on the employment of a foreigner.

Today Ukrainians can search employment in different kind of offers. So when they can choose to work in fish processing, at five degrees Celsius, you have to fish fillets, or by packing chocolates in pleasant surroundings for the same rates, it’s obvious what they will choose. Moreover, after the entry into force of the Act on the promotion of employment, the approval of the District Labour Office is enough to legitimize their work, and if they choose to change their employer, the procedures take only a few days. In the case of employees from outside Europe, the consent from the voivodeship office is needed, and if the employee is dissatisfied, the change of employer is possible, although the bureaucracy is much more burdensome and occupies at least 30 days, and in some voivodships even several months.

As a result, employees brought from India or Nepal are much less mobile, so employers are more confident of their work stability. And that – as the experts say – is now crucial for many companies. Even more than saving money. Asian workers are not cheap at all. After all, there are costs to provide housing, commuting and care until they are deployed in the new environment of the new country.

Poles are beginning to realize that it is necessary to attract foreigners to the Polish market. The economy requires emigrants also from more exotic directions.