Falling towards 15 percent

According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), the unemployment rate in September fell to 15.2 percent in comparison with 15.5 percent in August. In September the number of unemployed amounted to 2.36 million, 48,000 fewer than the month before. The decrease is more obvious when compared to last year's figures - in September 2005, 2.76 million Poles were registered as unemployed. Government officials expect the number to continue falling.

"At the end of the year, unemployment could be below 15 percent," estimates Deputy Minister of Labor Bogdan Socha. He said that the figure could dip to 14.8 or 14.9 percent, but the Ministry would be satisfied with 15 percent as well. "The negative trend could continue until the end of the year, perhaps even longer," he added.

The voivodships with the highest rate of unemployment are Warmińsko-Mazurskie in the northeast (24.4 percent) and western regions such as Zachodniopomorskie (23.6 percent), Lubuskie (20 percent) and Kujawsko-Pomorskie (19.4 percent).

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. In comparison with last year's figures, unemployment fell in all 16 voivodships. The most significant changes were seen in Pomorskie voivodship, where the figure was 21.8 percent lower, as well as Wielkopolskie (17.3 percent lower), Dolnoœlšskie (17 percent lower) and Zachodniopomorskie (16.9 percent lower).

The lowest unemployment rates were noted in the Małopolskie (11.6 percent), Wielkopolskie (12.1 percent) and Mazowieckie (12.2 percent) voivodships.

However, the vice president of the Adam Smith Research Center, Andrzej Sadowski, does not share the Deputy Labor Minister's optimism. "This is still a very high level," he says. Sadowski credits the fall to the creation of new workplaces by entrepreneurs, despite unfavorable conditions, as well as to widespread emigration. "This is not on the merit of any government," he stressed.