It means that in comparison to November 2018 the number of the unemployed increased by 20.8 thousand persons, that is, by 2.2 percent. The increase in the number of the unemployed in December last year was more significant than a year before, when the number of the unemployed increased by 14.1 thousand persons, that is, 1.3 percent.

An increase in the number of the unemployed in the last month of the previous year was noted in all voivodeships. It was felt the most in Pomerania, where an increase by 5.1 percent was noted, in Opole Voivodeship (and increase by 4.3 percent), in Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (3.3 percent) and Lublin Voivodeship, where an increase by 3 percent was noted.

Reasons for the unemployment increase in December 2018

Fundamental reasons for the unemployment increase in December 2018 included, among others, people returning to the registry of the unemployed after terminating agreements for a specified period of time, finishing seasonal works, mainly in forestry, gardening and construction, or a decrease in the number of jobs offered by employment offices.

In December, employers reported to employment offices 81.8 thousand of vacancies and places of professional activation. This is by 26.9 thousand fewer than in November.

At the end of December 2018, the registered unemployment rate amounted to 5.9 percent and in comparison to the previous month increased by 0.2 percentage points.  In comparison to the previous month the increase in the unemployment rate occurred in 14 voivodeships and was within the range of 0.1 and 0.3 percentage points. In Silesia and Greater Poland the unemployment rate remained at the level from November 2018.

At the end of 2018, as results from the initial data, the difference between the lowest and the highest unemployment rate in voivodeships amounted to 7.3 percentage points. The best situation was in Greater Poland (3.1 percent), the highest rates were noted in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship – 10.4 percent.

Labour market in 2018  

The situation in the labour market is definitely better, if we compare data year-to-year. At the end of 2018, there are 110.4 thousand of the unemployed registered in employment offices fewer than at the end of 2017. It is a decrease by 10.2 percent. At the end of 2018 the unemployment rate reached the level lower than at the end of 2017 by 0.7 percentage point – it has been the lowest level of this rate noted at the end of the year since 1990.

Furthermore, this result is better than previous forecasts according to which, at the end of the previous year the unemployment rate was to amount to 6.2 percent and in 2019 – to drop to the level of 5.6 percent.

One of the reasons for the decrease in the number of the unemployed in the previous year was the high and stable economic growth, which was reflected in the dynamics of the GDP growth, which has been noted at the level of over 5 percent for several quarters.

The situation in the labour market in 2018 was very good. It was indicated by both, a gradual increase in the number of the employed, as well as the record low level of the unemployment – says the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Elżbieta Rafalska. – In the third quarter of 2018 the number of the employed reached a record high level of over 16.6 million persons. The employment rate of persons at the age of 20-64 amounted to 72.8 percent and in comparison to the analogous period in the year 2015 it increased by 4.4 percent points – enumerates Minister Rafalska.

We present ourselves well in comparison with the European Union. Eurostat calculated that in October 2018 the unemployment rate in Poland amounted to 3.8 percent and was significantly lower than the Union average at the level of 6.7 percentage. – It is an enormous success, if we remember that at the moment of accessing the European Union we were a country with the highest unemployment rate in the Community – reminds Minister Rafalska.