Statistics Poland has published the results of the experimental study Diversity of occupations in the labour market in Poland. The publication presents the occupational structure of people employed in the national economy and of those working exclusively under contracts of mandate and related arrangements, as at the end of 2024. The analysis focuses on occupations actually performed and is based on administrative registers and statistical survey data.
There were 14.1 million people employed in the national economy, excluding those working on individual farms in agriculture. A further 1.4 million people worked exclusively under contracts of mandate and related arrangements. The most common occupations among those employed in the national economy were shop sales assistants and cashiers, heavy goods vehicle drivers, stock clerks, and primary school teachers. Together, these four occupational groups accounted for 13.5% of the employment covered by the analysis.
The publication reveals clear differences between occupations by sex and age. Women are more frequently employed in occupations related to education, health care and social services, while men dominate in many construction, transport, mining and technical occupations. The findings can support labour-market monitoring and the development of employment, education and vocational education and training policies that better reflect the needs of the economy.
Teachers in the labour market
Primary school teachers are among the four most common occupational groups in the national economy. They account for 2.6% of the employed population analysed, and women make up 86.8% of this group. The average age of primary school teachers is 47, compared with 43 for all employed people.
Among women aged 60 and over, primary school teachers were the most common occupational group, accounting for 6.2% of employed women in this age group. In the same population, teachers in upper-secondary schools, excluding vocational education teachers, accounted for 2.9%.