GUS figures reveal smaller then expected GDP growth, higher unemployment

According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS), GDP rose by 0.9% in the second quarter of 2001 as compared to the same period of 2000, the lowest increase since 1992. The figure surprised most analysts, who had not expected the growth to be so low. "August was not the "breakthrough month", but a slight improvement in industry and trade give us some hope that GDP growth in the third quarter will be a bit better than in the second," commented deputy head of GUS, Professor Janusz Witkowski. GDP growth in the first six months was 1.6%, and the government expects the figure for the whole year to be between 2.3% and 2.5%. According to analysts the third quarter growth figures will be 1.7% to 2.4%, reaching 1.7% to 2.7% for the whole year. Other worrying figures released by GUS relate to unemployment, which grew to 16% in August, from 15.9% in July. (Prawo i Gospodarka, Sept. 22-23, pp. 1, 2) J.K.