“Within three years time, the minimum wage will grow by about 300 zloty,” claims Jeremi Mordasewicz, an expert at PKPP Lewiatan, the Polish Confederation of Private Employers.

In 2008, minimum monthly salary measured 1,126 zloty (266.60 euro) and in 2007, it measured 936 zloty monthly (221.65 euro).

Analysts attribute the fact that salaries remain relatively low to the economic crisis. “Instead of firing people, many employers are proposing lowered salaries, and employees are accepting,” says Witold Orlowski, head economic at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

In 2008, in the industrial sector, approximately 18.1 percent of employees earned an average salary of 4,500 zloty gross per month (about 1,066 euro). This year, the number has risen to 22 percent and similar growth has been noted in the electronics and energy industries.