May, last year, was an important moment in unemployment statistics in Poland. Then the unemployment rate dropped to 5 percent. and so far it has only gotten worse. In February and March 2026, unemployment peaked (6.1%), but April and probably also May were better.
“The estimated unemployment rate in May was 5.9 percent. and was by 0.1 percentage point. lower than in April” – the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy announced on Tuesday. They were registered at labor offices in May 917.2 thousand unemployed – by 17.1 thousand less than in the previous month.
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Macronext
The Ministry of Labor quoted by PAP indicated that economic growth forecasts in Poland for 2026 remain favorable, which should contribute to further improvement of the situation on the labor market.
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The unemployment rate ranged from 3.8 percent. in the Greater Poland Voivodeship to 9.4 percent in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The lowest level of unemployment was recorded in Poznań County (1.4%), Poznań (1.6%), Warsaw (1.7%) and Kępno County in the province. Greater Poland (1.7%).
The ministry pointed out that the situation was improving in many poviats – the unemployment rate had dropped in 280 of them.
We have to wait about two weeks for the final unemployment data. Then the final report will be presented by the Central Statistical Office. Previous estimates of the unemployment rate are usually confirmed, but there are also surprises.
Unemployment in Poland decreases when the weather is warmer
In Poland, unemployment is clearly seasonal, so in most years it falls most often from spring to autumn, especially between March and October. The greatest declines were often observed in April, May and June, when seasonal work in construction, agriculture, horticulture, tourism and gastronomy begins. In these industries, the demand for employees is strongly related to the weather and the holiday season. As a result, many people previously registered with labor offices start employment in spring and summer.
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In turn, in winter, especially between November and February, unemployment often increased or at least stopped falling. This is because seasonal work is ending, some construction investments are being limited, and companies are being more cautious about hiring new employees. Additionally, at the beginning of the year, the statistics may include people whose fixed-term contracts have expired or whose seasonal assignments have ended.
