Biznes Fakty
Unemployment in Poland. Central Statistical Office published data – April 2025
The unemployment rate in April 2025 stood at 5.2 percent, a slight decrease from 5.3 percent the previous month, as reported by the Central Statistical Office.
The Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Policy had earlier projected the unemployment rate for April to be 5.2 percent. The consensus from PAP Biznes also indicated a figure of 5.2 percent.
Reduction in Unemployed Individuals
According to the Central Statistical Office, the count of unemployed individuals registered with labor offices reached 802.7 thousand in April, a decline from 829.9 thousand in the previous month. The number of newly registered unemployed individuals was 91.5 thousand, down from 102.1 thousand earlier.
LFS Unemployment in Poland
„The unemployment rate derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the first quarter of 2025 was 3.4% in Poland, an increase from 3.1% during the same timeframe in 2024,” the Central Statistical Office stated.
The economic activity rate was recorded at 58.2% in the first quarter of 2025, slightly down from 58.5% in the preceding quarter, while the employment rate was 56.2%, compared to 56.8% prior.
During the first quarter of 2025, the total number of economically active individuals aged 15-89 was 17.66 million, of which: 17.06 million were employed, and 600 thousand were without jobs.
The number of economically active individuals decreased compared to Q4 2024 (by 82 thousand people, or 0.5%) and compared to Q1 2024 (by 94 thousand, also by 0.5%).
Data from the Central Statistical Office indicates that 15.91 million individuals (93.3%) were employed full-time, while 1.15 million (6.7%) worked part-time.
Employment Patterns among Poles
The average number of hours worked during the survey week at the primary job was 38.7 hours.
Among all employed individuals, 80.9% (13.8 million people) were employees in public companies/institutions or with private employers, while the self-employed accounted for 18.5%, and unpaid family workers made up 0.6%.
The majority of employees in public companies/institutions or private firms worked under permanent contracts (84.4%, equating to 11.65 million people).
Considering the type of activity at the workplace, the first quarter of 2025 saw the largest reductions in employment numbers compared to the previous quarter in the areas of public administration and national defense; compulsory social security (by 89 thousand individuals, or 7.0%) and trade; motor vehicle repair (by 74 thousand, or 3.2%).
The most significant increases were noted in the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector (up by 83 thousand) and the accommodation and catering sector (up by 50 thousand).
In comparison to Q1 2024, the largest reductions in employment occurred in the public sector (down by 71 thousand). The private sector saw a decrease of 63 thousand in employment, with a notably larger drop in individual farms (by 137 thousand).
In terms of activity types at the primary workplace, Q1 2025 marked the largest employment declines compared to the same quarter in 2024 in the following sectors: agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing (by 153 thousand individuals) and trade; motor vehicle repair (by 100 thousand).
The largest increases were observed in the sectors of information and communication and education (both up by 43 thousand), as well as in professional, scientific, and technical activities (up by 37 thousand).
The number of individuals working from home, either regularly or occasionally, reached 2.78 million, making up 16.3% of all employed individuals. Those performing their professional responsibilities remotely (not accounting for the location of work) usually or sometimes numbered 1.91 million, representing 11.2% of all employed individuals.
