Warszawa / 20 / 04 / 2017
Poland’s excellent employees and political unrest
Poland attracts investors by its highly-qualified employees, wide availability of local suppliers and the European Union membership. Whereas the lowest-scoring
factors according to foreign companies were the political and social stability, and the predictability of economic policies – these are the results of the 12th Economic Survey of the German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce, carried out in cooperation with thirteen other bilateral chambers in Poland, operating
within the International Group of Chambers of Commerce. The survey was carried out among 369 foreign
companies operating in Poland.
EU membership, qualified staff and local suppliers as factors driving Poland’s
attractiveness
The survey was based on a total of 21 investment attractiveness factors. Similarly to last year, the EU membership and employees’ qualifications are the
highest-rated factors according to foreign companies operating in Poland. The
quality and availability of local suppliers is getting better results year by year,
and this time was ranked third. Position number four in our survey is held by
the adequacy of higher education, and the last top-five factor is the productivity
and motivation of employees.
Better transparency of public tenders, worse evaluation of legal safety and
legal flexibility of employment, less available employees
In comparison with last year, the 2017 survey shows a better evaluation of the
transparency of public procurement law (which moved four positions up in our
attractiveness factors’ ranking) as well as the effectiveness of fight against corruption and economic crime. Comparing to last year, the score of legal safety
dropped significantly. In the open question, the entrepreneurs pinpoint that the
laws, including the laws regulating the functioning of sectors, are passed too
quickly and without reliable consultations with the business.
The factors of legal flexibility of employment and availability of employees also
Companies’ revenue and investments, employing staff
scored less in 2017.
The majority of surveyed foreign companies in Poland (59.1%) predict that their
turnover in 2017 will increase in comparison with last year. One third (32.0%)
Worst evaluation for political and social stability as well as predictability of
foresee no changes, and almost 9% forecast a decrease in their turnover.
economic policies
45% of the companies plan to increase employment. For almost a half of the
Similarly to 2016, the lowest-scoring factors are the political and social stability
companies (49.1%), the number of employees will remain similar to last year. In
as well as the predictability of economic policies in Poland. The political and
comparison with 2016, there is a considerably lower percentage of companies
social stability used to be ranked 6th among the investment attractiveness fac-
that plan to reduce employment (9.4% in 2016 vs. 5.7% in 2017).
tors in 2015, then fell to 20th place in 2016, and is still going down in the rank-
What is more, the entrepreneurs predict a salary increase of 5% on average in
ing with only 2.39 out of five possible points, in the eyes of foreign investors
2017.
operating in Poland. Similarly to last year, the 21st and last position is held by
The percentage of companies declaring higher expenditure on investment
the predictability of economic policies, with 2.24 points.
dropped by 3.5pp, from 36.0% to 32.5%.
Current condition of the economy and future perspectives
Poland second in the European ranking
A vast majority of the 2017 Economic Survey respondents see the current con-
For 369 foreign companies operating in Poland, Poland is the regional leader
dition of the Polish economy in a positive light. Over a half (54.3%) assessed it
when it comes to investment attractiveness. Apart from foreign investors oper-
as satisfactory, and 32.1% as good. A negative opinion was expressed by 13.6%
ating in Poland, Poland and other CEE countries were evaluated by 1365 Ger-
of surveyed companies.
man investors operating in 15 other markets of the region. In 2017, similarly to
In the opinion of over a half of respondents (54.6%), the prospects for the
2016, Poland ranked 2nd in the European ranking (behind the Czech Republic)
Polish economy will remain unchanged in comparison with 2016. One fifth of
with a score of 4.09 out of six possible points, which means that the distance to
respondents (21.7%) assessed the prospects as good, and 23.6% as bad.
the Czech Republic that scored 4.13 points has shrunk to as little as 0.04 points.
The remaining top-ten countries are: Slovakia, Estonia, Slovenia, Latvia, Croatia,
also comment on the current condition of the economy, as well as on the situa-
Lithuania, Hungary and Romania.
tion of their companies and the prospects for development.
About the survey
The Economic Survey was conducted in February 2017 by the German-Polish
Chamber of Industry and Commerce in cooperation with thirteen other bilateral
chambers in Poland, operating within the International Group of Chambers of
Commerce: American, Austrian, Belgian, British, Canadian, Dutch, French, Irish,
Italian, Portuguese, Scandinavian, Spanish and Swiss. 369 foreign capital companies operating in Poland participated in the survey.
In the “Polish sample”, 235 investors come from Germany, 16 from Scandinavia,
15 from the U.S.A., 13 from Italy, 11 from France as well as from Austria, and 9
from Switzerland. The rest of respondents were investors from Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain, among others.
There was a European survey conducted at the same time, with participation of
1365 German capital companies operating in the 15 other ECC countries, associated in German bilateral chambers.
The survey respondents evaluate the Central and Eastern European countries
on the basis of 21 investment attractiveness factors (on a scale from 1 to 5
points) and assess directly the 20 CEE economies on a scale from 1 to 6. They