Poland has seen an increase in the jobless figures from 5.1 percent in December to 5.4 percent in January, a rise of almost 50,000 in the number of unemployed, according to Poland’s Central Office of Statistics (GUS).
The GUS data shows that unemployment in Poland has risen for the second month running. In December, it rose from 5 percent to 5.1 percent. In January, that increase was even greater, with unemployment reaching 5.4 percent, a jump from 788,000 unemployed individuals to 837,000.
This means that unemployment has passed the 800,000 mark for the first time since March last year. According to analysts, the next three months will show if this is due to the effects of last year’s economic slowdown. There are now questions about whether the forecasts for faster growth In Poland, which is expected to reduce unemployment, will actually materialize.
There is also concern that January’s 20 percent rise in the minimum wage, double the average salary increase, is not being reflected in economic productivity, which could lead to some turbulence within the labor market.
However, Poland’s unemployment rate remains the second lowest in Europe, and most analysts believe that the current increase may only be seasonal, as the construction, tourism and agricultural sectors reduce their activity in the winter months. This is why forecasters believe that unemployment is likely to continue rising in the coming two months but should start falling in the second quarter of this year.
The number of people of productive age additionally continues to fall in Poland. In 2023, it was 22 million, down 200,000 versus 2022 and amounting to 58.4 percent of the population as a whole. Nearly 60 percent of those registered as employed were men.
