In theory it isn’t that bad, but in practice there are places in the country where it is downright dramatic. According to data from the Central Statistical Office, the recorded unemployment rate in Poland in the first quarter of 2026 was 6.1%. That is worse than a few months ago. The government defends this result by saying that compared to other EU countries we still perform well, as it is one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. This is a weak consolation for Poles who have once again had nothing to feed their children because there simply is no work. In some regions of our country the unemployment rate exceeds 20%. Finding work there is almost miraculous. And worse, there are no prospects that the situation could improve.
Huge unemployment in some Polish counties
According to data from the Central Statistical Office, the worst situation is in Szydłowiec County, where the unemployment rate reaches 22.7%. It is a very difficult, but not isolated case. In Brzozów County unemployment remains at 20.3%, and in Lesko County it is as high as 19.8%. According to GUS data, there are 26 counties in Poland where the unemployment rate reaches 15% or more.
The data do not inspire optimism, and worse, there are no prospects for a quick improvement. Not only is unemployment high, but funds for activating unemployed people have been cut, as well as support for entrepreneurs creating new jobs. This could lead to an even greater collapse in the job market in the future.
The problem is huge, especially since the number of job offers appearing in intermediaries is decreasing. In April 2026, 37.3 thousand job offers were submitted to Polish Employment Offices, 6.7 thousand fewer than a year earlier, which means a drop of 15.3% year‑on‑year.
And that is not the only bad news. The number of people using programs aimed at job activation has also significantly decreased. In March 2026, 13.7 thousand people in Poland benefited from such support. That is more than 57% less than a year earlier, when 32.4 thousand people benefited from job activation in the same period. Importantly, the reason is not fewer willing participants, but smaller funds that the government allocated for this purpose. This is also one of the most important problems causing the deepening of the job market crisis, experts point out.
Few workplaces
The deepening job market crisis is complex. Several factors influence it. Among the most important are rising costs of running a business in Poland. These are mainly due to increasing employee maintenance costs, which include higher wages and also contributions that are raised year after year. Energy costs are also significant, and for many entrepreneurs they are almost unsustainable. According to the promises of Donald Tusk’s government, this was supposed to change, but so far it has ended in political promises that entrepreneurs cannot use to pay their bills.
The problem is also the small number of workplaces. Most companies operating in counties with the highest unemployment rates are small family businesses or sole proprietorships. Employment in such enterprises often hovers around 2‑3 people. They are also largely not well‑paid jobs. In many cases employers offer wages at the national minimum.
“Entrepreneurs increasingly point to economic difficulties, rising operating costs, and ongoing economic uncertainty. As a result, some companies are more cautious about increasing employment and expect financial support from the County Employment Office when creating new jobs,” said Jarosław Basiak, director of the Szydłowiec County Employment Office, on the Bankier.pl portal.
And that support, as we have already pointed out, is getting smaller, because money for this purpose is being restricted.
A large proportion of people registered as unemployed are those who register with intermediaries to have health insurance. According to data from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, such motives can drive even more than 40% of people who decide to register as unemployed.
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