The impact of the minimum wage increase in Poland on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals

The aim of this article is to determine whether the increase in the minimum wage in Poland can be linked to the decline in employment and labour force participation among the youngest age group and those with the lowest education levels. The research was based on correlation and determination analyses between changes in employment and economic activity rates and the relationship between minimum and average wages in cross-sections by education and age, with additional considerations based on a panel model and other economic measures. The results indicated that people with the lowest level of education are being replaced in the workplace by other groups; youth employment is growing more slowly than in other age groups, with a decline in their economic activity, which may be related to the increase in the minimum wage. This situation threatens the achievement of the SDGs; therefore, these groups should receive support from the state.