Working in Krakow

As the second biggest Polish city after Warsaw, Krakow is a major expat destination: its developed, dynamic, and versatile economy provides a welcome environment for professionals. However, if you are considering a move there, you should start by enquiring about Krakow's labour market so as to determine where your skills would fit in best. In general, Krakow is very open towards qualified and skilled expatriates. So why not try your luck?

Economy

Krakow is one of the oldest cities in Poland. With that, it's one of the country's most important economic hubs, its second largest, and second most populous city. The city is home to over 760,000 people and annually welcomes a large number of new residents. There are over 120,000 local businesses, among them over 3,500 companies running on foreign investment. Krakow, and MaÅopolska Province in general, provide favourable conditions for investment thanks to the area's convenient location, developed infrastructure and a multicultural environment.

Labour market

For years, Krakow has boasted one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country: 3.6% at the end of 2016 (compared to about 4.4% on average across Poland). Most career prospects in the city are provided by private companies, specifically in service, financial, and technology sectors. Business services in particular have emerged as one of the city's most prominent areas of activity. In Tholons Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations (leading business services activity ranking), Krakow was placed on the 1st spot in Europe and 9th spot globally as the best location for global services. Krakow is also home to a large number of internationals and multinationals including Google, IBM, German truck manufacturer MAN and many British and Scandinavian companies. Note, moreover, that most companies operating in the city have Polish, English and French-speaking staff.

Tourism also makes a significant contribution to the local economy while creating jobs. Krakow is an easily accessible city, especially thanks to its public transport network. Hence, you can easily go to work there even if you have not chosen to settle there. So you should not have much trouble in adapting to your new working environment.

Find a job

Finding a job in Krakow should not be a difficult task, especially thanks to the Internet. Indeed, you will come across offers on general and specialised job sites, professional social networks and other virtual platforms. However, most of these ads are published in Polish, so it's better to have some knowledge of the national language, use an online translator or ask a friend for help. Alternatively, you can try your luck with your home country's Chamber of Commerce in Poland: they may provide you with the directory of companies operating across the city. You can start by sending them spontaneous job applications, whether in Polish or in English. There are also a few websites that list vacancies specifically for expats ' please refer to the links below.

Useful links:

Jobs in Krakow for English-speaking professionals
Careers in Poland
Iagora
Glassdoor