Poland quit communism in 1989 and has since joined NATO, the OECD and became a member of the EU in 2004. An educated workforce, a good level of political stability and attractive costs for manufacturing all contributed to help the country’s economy achieve one the highest growth rates among the larger EU states in recent years.
Although there remain some real challenges, Poland has modernized rapidly and unemployment – which drove much emigration – has decreased. An investment-friendly environment with low taxes, relatively low costs and incentives for inward investment combined with its central geographic position have all encouraged many companies to setup operations in Poland. These range from manufacturing to outsourced IT development, and drive a new wave of immigrants coming to Poland.