Wojsko na lokalnym rynku pracy z perspektywy przedsiębiorców w województwie warmińsko-mazurskim – wyniki badań pilotażowych
The Army in the Local Labor Market From the Perspective of Entrepreneurs in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship – Results of a Pilot Study

Summary/Abstract: Changes in Poland’s security environment caused by the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, tensions in economic relations between countries, as well as escalating cyber-attacks and growing disinformation, determine the need to increase the country’s defense capabilities. In the social dimension, this refers, among other things, to the planned increase in the size of the armed forces, while in the economic dimension, it translates into a shift in the structure of spending in the national economy, including increased spending on defense production. The aim of the research presented in this article is to understand the perspective of entrepreneurs from the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship on the labor market, in particular on the labor supply and other conditions of running a business in the context of the increasing demand for candidates for the armed forces and the related competition for employees. As a result of their own research, literature studies, and observations of changes in the security environment, the authors identified a gap in the impact of changing social, economic, and geopolitical conditions on entrepreneurs’ activities. To understand the entrepreneurs’ perspective, an empirical method was used – a diagnostic survey, a survey technique (CATI). 101 respondents from the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship participated in the pilot study. The study results indicate difficulties in business operations, including a shortage of qualified and dedicated employees, high labor costs, and frequent changes in legal regulations. This shortage of candidates, emphasized by entrepreneurs, is linked to the intensification of competition for employees with public organizations, including the armed forces. In response, entrepreneurs are implementing changes to their personnel policies to attract and retain employees within their organizations. Entrepreneurs experience the military’s impact on the labor market to varying degrees. Some experience this impact through increased competition for employees. This is particularly noticeable in municipalities where a military unit is stationed or located in close proximity. Identifying changes in business conditions related to changes in the security environment will allow for the search for solutions that balance economic, social, and defense aspects within the context of the state’s economic policy. This article presents research findings on entrepreneurs’ perceptions of the local labor market, including the conditions for conducting business in the context of increasing the state’s defense potential.

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