Although the subject of economic migration is much less in the forefront of public concern than it was only a few years ago, it continues to be an important social phenomenon. Polish people still look for work abroad fairly frequently. In the October survey just over one in ten respondents (12%) said that they had gone to work abroad at least once in the previous ten years.

How long are these trips? Most often, those asked said they had spent several months abroad (39%). However, it is worth noting that, compared to past surveys, there has been a significant increase in respondents declaring their longest stint of working abroad to have been 2 years or more. This was the answer given by 36% of respondents – a rise of 14 percentage points over last year. This could suggest that we are witnessing an escalation of Poles coming home after long-term economic migration. To confirm this hypothesis, however, observation of the trend over time will be essential.

More on this subject in the CBOS report.