- Another month brings us good news from the labour market, which makes us optimistic and confirms the stability of the labour market. According to our estimates, September was the second month in a row when the total number of unemployed people registered in labour offices continued to decrease - says the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Marlena Maląg.

In comparison to the end of August 2020, a decrease by 3.3 thousand people was recorded and finally the number of the unemployed reached 1 million 24.7 thousand persons. The number of unemployed people registered in labour offices dropped by approximately 1.5 thousand in August.

A decrease in the number of unemployed was also recorded in September in as many as 11 voivodships as compared to the previous month, with the strongest decreases in the following voivodships: Lubelskie (-1.9%), Świętokrzyskie (-1.4%) and Dolnośląskie (-1.1%).

Unemployment rate remains unchanged for the fourth month

The registered unemployment rate estimated by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy at the end of September this year amounted to 6.1%, which means it has remained at the same level for four months.

The increase in the unemployment rate occurred only in Pomorskie Voivodeship, where it increased by 0.1 percentage point in comparison to the end of August 2020 (to 5.7%). The intensity of unemployment remained stable in 7 voivodeships in relation to August and decreased in 8 voivodeships - the decrease ranged from 0.1 percentage point in Lubelskie, Dolnośląskie, Lubuskie, Łódzkie, Mazowieckie, Podkarpackie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodships up to 0.2 percentage points in Lubelskie.

The Shields have protected employment

- Due to the introduction of the anti-crisis shield, the changes in the labour market are not as rapid as indicated by the estimates shown in March.  The level of unemployment did not increase dramatically during the pandemic - says Minister Marlena Maląg.

The government has spent over PLN 142 billion for protecting jobs and ensuring financial liquidity under the three shields - anti-crisis, financial and the assistance shield.

According to the latest data published by Eurostat, in August 2020 Poland was the second country with the lowest unemployment rate in the EU, following Czech Republic, reaching 3.1%, against 7.4% of all EU countries and 8.1% in the euro zone. The national unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage point lower in comparison to July of the current year and remains at a level identical with the previous year.

Remote work has ensured the continuity of companies' operations and provides an opportunity for the professional activation of new social groups

Remote work introduced under one of the shields during the lockdown allowed the companies to maintain the continuity of their operations. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office, the number of people working at home doubled in the second quarter both in relation to the previous year and the previous quarter. As many as 13.1% of all employees in the second quarter were working remotely from home.

A large part of the companies which have introduced remote work in result of the lockdown will most likely maintain that mode of work, which will have a positive impact on their further development. That is also due to the fact that the restrictions introduced to prevent the spread of coronavirus have influenced the consumers' behaviour and purchasing decisions.

In order to meet the expectations of employers and employees, the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy is working on introducing remote work into the Labour Code on a permanent basis. These changes may also contribute to the professional activation of people with physical disabilities and those living in remote parts of Poland with limited communication possibilities.

- Remote work is undoubtedly a great opportunity to improve the number of options available for people with disabilities in the labour market and their professional development. However, it can also become a constraint on building and maintaining human bonds and can lead to home isolation of the person with disabilities. For this purpose, this form of work should be available wherever it can be applied, but at the same time it should be a free and informed choice of each employee. Therefore the interests of both sides of the employment relationship (employee and employer) are safeguarded by the new provisions, which means that all issues related to remote work should be publicly discussed. We wish to work out an agreement related to this matter - adds Minister Marlena Maląg.

Now it is easier to find a job in comparison to the first months of the pandemic

The number of job opportunities continues to increase, both those submitted to labour offices as well as those appearing on websites. As early as in April this year, employers have registered approximately 58 thousand vacancies and places of professional activation with the district labour offices. In September of 2020, the number of vacancies and vocational activation places registered by employers in labour offices amounted to 109.3 thousand, and thus was larger by 13 thousand (i.e. by 13.5%) in relation to August this year.

In comparison to the initial phase of the pandemic since the end of May, we have observed an increase in demand for work of foreigners. For instance, in April of this year, district labour offices received approximately 2,000 declarations per day, currently they register approximately 6,000-7,000, a number comparable to the number of declarations prior to the pandemic. We may assume that demand for work of foreigners in the coming years will remain at a level at least similar to 2019, which results from structural factors (including demographic and qualification gaps in specific occupations) and the expected economic recovery after the pandemic.