Polish mining sector economic and transition developments

In mid-2026, the Polish mining sector experienced significant fluctuations in reported earnings. Data from Statistics Poland indicated a sharp month-to-month increase in average gross wages for the mining and quarrying sector in June, which reached 17,400 PLN. Experts characterized this spike as a “classic statistical effect” resulting from annual bonus payments rather than a permanent trend.

Concurrently, mining companies are executing social protection programs designed to manage the gradual reduction of coal extraction as part of a long-term transition plan. These measures allow workers to choose between extended mining leave—receiving 80 percent of their salary for up to five years—or a one-time, tax-exempt severance payment of 170,000 PLN net for those with sufficient seniority.

Major entities including Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa and Polska Grupa Górnicza have reported thousands of employees utilizing these options. These programs are part of a broader social agreement intended to manage the planned closure of several mines and the eventual cessation of energy coal mining by 2049.