Poland IT Market

Main article: Economy of Poland

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2024: Almost all IT companies in Poland lay off employees over AI

In mid-April 2024, it became known that approximately 95% of Polish IT companies are forced to reduce the number of personnel. This is due to several factors, including the difficult macroeconomic situation, increased market competition and the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence technologies.

It is noted that in two years (by the beginning of 2024) the debt of the IT industry in Poland increased by a third, reaching about 264 million zlotys (about $64.63 million at the exchange rate as of April 16, 2024). This is due to the global deterioration of the industry situation and a sharp decrease in demand for IT services. In this situation, the struggle for contracts in the IT sphere has intensified, and companies are forced to agree to less and less profitable offers. As a result, profitability is reduced, while costs remain consistently high (including payroll costs).

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At the beginning of 2023, when a wave of layoffs in technology companies began around the world, the situation in the Polish IT sector looked quite stable. Local businesses were counting on a rapid recovery of the industry, despite the reduction in the number of projects. However, it was not possible to cope with the crisis in a short time, and IT companies in Poland also began to reduce staff. It is said that the largest reductions in the number of employees (by about a quarter) were recorded in small companies with up to 50 employees.

Now it is difficult to talk about stabilization. Employers are certainly taking business decisions much more carefully and watching global trends even more closely, says Przemysław Mikus, vice president of the Software Developers Association (SoDA).[1]

2023: Poland's IT market grew 4% to $26.5 billion over the year

At the end of 2023, the volume of the Polish IT market reached $26.5 billion. Growth compared to the previous year exceeded 4%. This is stated in the materials of Statista, which TAdviser got acquainted with in early September 2024.

It is noted that the Polish IT industry is experiencing significant growth due to economic development, government initiatives and the nascent culture of startups. The country's strategic focus on the digital economy contributes to the creation of a favorable environment for the implementation of IT solutions. However, digital transformation in various industries such as finance, healthcare and retail, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has increased demand for advanced infrastructure and ICT services.

The government of the country, recognizing the importance of IT, implements a number of policies and initiatives for the further development of the industry. In particular, by the end of 2024, 931 thousand households are expected to receive access to broadband Internet. About 380 thousand people will be trained in the field of cybersecurity. In addition, it is planned to build 4,200 base stations with 5G support.

According to estimates, in July 2024, the number of job offers for specialists in the Polish segment of the Internet reached 33.5 thousand, for the first time in a year exceeding 30 thousand. According to the survey, about 72% of directors of IT companies from different industries intend to launch new projects, and more than half of them expect to hire employees in their respective areas. This requires primarily specialists in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, data processing and development. The ICT market in Poland is estimated at $28.68 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $46.51 billion by 2029.^[2]

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