Polish transporters are on the verge of a crisis and mass layoffs: a shortage of cargo and a significant drop in rates will prompt transport companies to lay off up to a third or more of their drivers starting in April.
The crisis in the transportation sector has been worsening since early spring and will continue to grow. This was reported by the specialized resource 40ton.net with reference to the Manpower Group report. It is emphasized that the mood of entrepreneurs in the face of the challenges of this quarter is not very positive.
In a sample survey of companies in the transportation and logistics industry about their employment plans, the answers were mixed. As it turned out, 34 percent of entrepreneurs admitted that they were “likely to reduce the number of employees in the second quarter of this year.” This is not a very encouraging indicator for the country’s transportation sector.
However, one third will not violate the staff integrity, with 36 percent of companies saying they will maintain the current staff. And only 29 percent of transport companies expect additional employment. Other companies were undecided.
The overall balance is as follows: 5 percent more employees are planned to be laid off than hired. For Poland, where the transportation sector is one of the most powerful in Europe, this is an alarming crisis symptom.
Manpower Group notes that the mood in the transportation and logistics industry has deteriorated quite suddenly. Previous studies showed that just three months ago, the situation was the exact opposite: 18 percent more companies planned to increase staff than to cut it. The same positive outlook on this topic was maintained over the past year.
Although it is not officially stated, this deterioration was partly caused by strikes by drivers and farmers blocking roads at border checkpoints.
