Unemployment rate up at the end of the year. New data from the Ministry of Labor

The unemployment rate registered in December was 5.7%. compared to 5.6 percent a month earlier – informed the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. Economists polled by PAP Biznes expected that the unemployment rate in Poland had increased to 5.7 percent in December.

The registered unemployment rate at the end of December 2025 ranged from 3.6%. in the Greater Poland Voivodeship to 9.2 percent in the Podkarpackie and Warmian-Masurian Voivodeships.

According to data from the Ministry of Labor, at the end of December 2025, the number of unemployed people registered in offices increased to 888.6 thousand. – by PLN 15.0 thousand people more than in the previous month, and by 102.5 thousand more than at the end of the previous year.

“December is usually a month of an increase in the number of unemployed people, which may result from a weakening of the recruitment activity of companies – this is evidenced by a high decline in the number of job offers available on the market,” the Ministry of Labor wrote in a statement.

In absolute terms, the largest number of unemployed people, compared to the previous month, was recorded in the Podkarpackie and Lesser Poland voivodeships (an increase of 1.7 thousand each), and the Silesian and Lubelskie voivodeships (an increase of 1.3 thousand each). The number of unemployed people has not decreased in any voivodeship.

The main reasons given by the unemployed for terminating employment contracts in December 2025 are: termination of work due to the expiry of the period for which the contract was concluded and termination of the contract by mutual consent of the parties.

However, the most frequently indicated reason for registering at the employment office among the unemployed was obtaining health insurance – this reason was indicated by 42.4 percent. unemployed and obtaining help in taking up work (38.6%).

“The sections in which the largest number of unemployed people worked before registration in December 2025: industrial processing (13.6% of the inflow), wholesale and retail trade (12.9%) and construction (7.9%),” the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy announced in a press release.

“Professions with the most (over 1.0 thousand) unemployed people registered in December 2025: salesperson (7.5 percent inflow), cook (2.4 percent), warehouseman (1.7 percent), motor vehicle mechanic (1.7 percent), farm worker (1.7 percent), hairdresser (1.6 percent), auxiliary construction worker (1.6 percent), locksmith (1.6 percent), economic technician (1.3%), production worker (1.2%),” it added.

The most common reasons for deregistration of the unemployed from the register of labor offices in December 2025 were taking up work, starting to participate in activation activities and lack of contact with the PUP at least once every 90 days.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy reported that in December, employers reported 20.3 thousand jobs to labor offices. job vacancies and professional activation – a decrease of 18.8%. on a monthly basis and by 66.2 percent compared to December 2024.

“The majority of job offers at employment offices in December were addressed to office workers, Border Guard officers, production workers, salesmen, cleaning workers, warehouse workers and construction workers,” it was written. (PAP Business)

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