Purpose: Bioeconomy is one of the largest and most important sectors of the European Union economy. It employed over 17 million people in 2021 and generated an added value of approximately EUR 728 billion. This study assessed the utilisation of the labour factor in bioeconomy sectors in Poland compared with other European Union countries. Design/methodology/approach: An analysis was conducted on employment levels and labour productivity from 2010 to 2021. The study also attempted to classify EU countries based on relative measures of average labour productivity in the bioeconomy and the dynamics of changes observed. Findings: In Poland, the bioeconomy recorded a labour productivity of EUR 12,552 per employee, which represented only 38% of the EU average. Poland ranked 25th in the bioeconomy labour productivity. Throughout the analysed period, labour productivity in Poland rose by 78%. Changes in the sectoral employment structure were noted, with a shift of employees from low-productivity sectors to those with higher productivity. Like most countries that joined the EU after 2004, Poland is one of the countries that are “catching up” due to low labour productivity, which is growing at an above-average rate. Investing in technology and innovations that enhance labour efficiency is essential for competing with countries that have high labour productivity. Research limitations/implications: The key methodological limitations identified in the analysis concern data availability, both temporal and cross-sectional. Originality/value: In this article, the authors attempt to classify EU Member States according to relative measures of average labour productivity in the bioeconomy and the dynamics of its changes in the years 2010-2021 in order to indicate the existence of beta convergence.