The aim of this article is to analyse the labour force resources in rural areas and to present the possibilities of their reallocation to gainful employment outside agriculture. The labour market in rural areas is increasingly less identified with agricultural activity. The constant modernisation of Polish agriculture and its transformation into a fully market-oriented branch of the economy is able to release the surplus of hands for work. An important challenge facing the Polish labour market policy is therefore creating conditions for the full use of these released reserves, e.g. by retraining the labour force resources working in agriculture and using them in other industries. The presented analysis was made on the basis of available statistical data and data obtained from the IT systems of public employment services.