Krakow loses corporate jobs to India as Uber and HSBC cut staff

Krakow’s corporate labor market is absorbing another round of layoffs, with workers pointing to India as the destination for some of the jobs disappearing from the city.

Uber is carrying out its largest workforce reduction since the pandemic and plans to eliminate about 3,300 positions worldwide, roughly 10% of its staff. The company says the cuts will simplify its structure, merge some teams and reduce costs. At its Krakow center, more than 150 people lost their jobs in a first wave at the end of July, and workers expect another round.

The situation follows recent mass layoffs at HSBC in Krakow, where 134 employees were dismissed. Workers at both companies reportedly received assignments to train their replacements in India. At Uber, the company allegedly offered additional financial benefits to dismissed employees who took part in the training, amid concerns that workers might use medical leave to avoid it.

Employees have given the restructuring process an ironic name, “Another India,” arguing that official explanations such as process simplification, restructuring and artificial intelligence often conceal the relocation of tasks. The layoffs reflect a broader challenge for Krakow, which has built a reputation as a leading outsourcing center in Central and Eastern Europe.

Michał Młynarczyk of the Polish HR Forum said Poland had become relatively expensive for basic corporate services and needed to change the type of investment it attracts. He said companies would still need centers in different regions for security reasons. In the first half of 2026, employers reported plans to cut 2,050 more positions in Krakow, including more than 1,300 in business services. The city recorded 4,443 planned mass layoffs in 2025, while unemployment stood at 2.5%.