Polish construction firms have been forced to look to Ukraine and Belarus for workers / Photo from UNIAN
Polish companies feel a shortage of labor on construction sites and have been forced to look to Ukraine and Belarus for workers, a construction company boss has said, according to Radio Poland.
Around one in four Polish construction workers looking for higher earnings have emigrated to Western Europe, leaving over 100,000 positions in the building sector unoccupied, President of Polish construction company Budimex Dariusz Blocher said, Radio Poland reported with reference to Poland's economic daily Puls Biznesu.
"A culmination of projects co-financed by the European Commission will occur in 2017-2019, [and by that time] the personnel shortage could be as high as tens of thousands," Blocher added.
In Blocher's opinion, companies will need to meet with government officials at the beginning of next year over difficulties regarding the hire of non-nationals. Currently, companies must help prospective hires obtain visas, complete formalities and bear the cost of work permits.