Labor costs soar in recent years, reducing hopes of fighting unemployment

The cost of labor per capita in Poland has doubled over the last four years, virtually vanquishing any hopes for a quick reduction of the nation's 15.8% unemployment. The Main Statistical Office (GUS) has announced that last year employers had to spend an average zl.3000 monthly on each worker due to various remuneration and social welfare costs. Increasing at an average of 19% a year over the last four years, the trend gives little hope to the 2.9 million jobless. This is aggravated by the cost of creating new jobs. Last year, the net earning capacity of private companies in Poland was only 1% and their first level liquidity index was 13.4 %, which means they had great difficulties settling their accounts. Unfortunately, this also means they have no funds to spend on creating new jobs. (Prawo i Gospodarka, pp.1,2) J.K.