The average gross monthly salary was lower by over PLN 300 in the second quarter of this year, compared to the previous quarter, which means a decline by 6 percent, according to the data of the Central Statistical Office (GUS). The main culprit behind the decline is the Covid-19 pandemic, as a result of which many companies have decided to cut the salaries of their employees. Personnel Service experts indicate that it is worth emphasizing the fact that employees agree to a temporary reduction in wages, which is a sign of high understanding by employees, both highly and low-skilled, of the risks posed by the coronavirus in the context of the economy and the labor market.

“ The GUS data confirmed what could be expected. The good growth dynamics of the average salary so far and the optimistic data from 2019, when there was an increase in salaries by 7.3 percent, were stopped by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many employers, in the face of declining turnover of their companies, decided to cut employees' salaries. Sometimes it was 10 percent, sometimes 25 percent, and sometimes – even half of the salary. In extreme cases, it was decided to terminate the existing contracts. The situation of employees in the hotel or catering industry was bad. Many people there, especially under civil law contracts, lost their jobs almost overnight,” Krzysztof Inglot, President of the Management Board of Personnel Service and an expert on the labor market, said.

“Defrosting the economy should gradually rebalance wages and unemployment. It also seems that even if the number of coronavirus infections increases significantly in the fall, the rulers will not decide to freeze the economy as drastically as in March,” Krzysztof Inglot added.

(WBJ)