Investment Attractiveness of Small Towns in Poland - Assessment of Available Labor Resources

Purpose: The study aims to determine the level of investment attractiveness of small towns in Poland in terms of labour resources.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study spanned over period 2017-2019, and relied on the Hellwig method which allowed to structure a synthetic metric for small towns and order them linearly. The research covered 705 small towns in Poland. Quantitative data retrieved from the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office was used in structuring the metric.
Findings: It was proved that from the perspective of investors small towns in Poland are diverse areas in terms of labour resources and the size of small urban centres has no influence on their attractiveness. Spatial analysis conducted as part of the research showed, i.a., that the most attractive labour resources were found in small towns in the central part of the country (the Wielkopolskie and Mazowieckie voivodships).
Practical Implications: The above studies may provide some guidance for local governments and public aid managers in Poland. This allows to draw an important conclusion on future measures to be taken in small towns. If they are supposed to fully perform their key functions, a dedicated development policy for the smallest Polish towns must be put in place. This is of particular importance in view of the situation of small towns in Eastern Poland and of small towns located far away from large cities.
Originality/Value: The results of the analysis and theoretical considerations in the article complement previous research in the field of small towns.