The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has intensified in recent days. The Polish furniture industry, on the other hand, relies on neighboring Ukraine for its abundant human and natural resources. The Polish furniture industry is currently evaluating how much the industry will suffer in the event of heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
For the past few years, furniture factories in Poland have relied on Ukrainian workers to fill vacancies. As recently as late January, Poland amended its rules to extend the period for Ukrainians to hold work permits to two years from the previous six months, a move that could help boost Poland’s labor pool during periods of low employment.
Many also returned to Ukraine to fight in the war, and the Polish furniture industry was losing labor. About half of the Ukrainian workers in Poland have returned, according to estimates by Tomaz Wiktorski.