Poland’s Central Statistical Office (GUS) has published new data on the situation on the labour market. According to figures released on Tuesday, 24 February, the registered unemployment rate in January 2026 stood at 6.0 percent, marking an increase compared with December 2025, when it amounted to 5.7 percent. The result matched both economists’ forecasts and the preliminary estimates previously announced by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.
GUS data show that the number of registered unemployed people rose to 934,100 in January, up from 887,900 a month earlier. The number of newly registered unemployed also increased, rising from 93,600 in December to 118,500 in January. Analysts note that part of the increase is seasonal, as labour market indicators often worsen at the beginning of the year, but structural and legal factors are also influencing the current figures.
At the same time, GUS published preliminary results from the Labour Force Survey (BAEL) for the fourth quarter of 2025. According to this survey, the unemployment rate stood at 3.2 percent, up slightly from 3.1 percent in the previous quarter. This indicator remains significantly lower than registered unemployment because it includes a broader population, covering also those who are not officially registered with labour offices.
According to the BAEL data, economically active people accounted for 59 percent of the population aged 15–89 in the fourth quarter of 2025. This share remained unchanged compared with the third quarter but increased by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year. The total number of economically active people reached 17.9 million, including 17.3 million employed and 567,000 unemployed. At the same time, the number of economically inactive individuals amounted to 12.5 million. While the active labour force remained stable on a quarterly basis, it increased by about 170,000 compared with the same period a year earlier.
The Labour Force Survey is conducted throughout the year and includes individuals aged 15 and over selected through random sampling. Its purpose is to monitor employment, unemployment, and economic inactivity, providing a more comprehensive picture of the labour market than administrative data based solely on labour office registrations.
Experts point out that the rise in registered unemployment is not solely the result of economic deterioration. Legal changes introduced in 2025 have also played an important role. Since June last year, individuals can obtain unemployed status at their place of residence or online, significantly simplifying procedures. In addition, the rules for maintaining unemployment status have changed — instead of monthly in-person visits, contact with a labour office is now required only once every 90 days.
The broader context also includes a wave of collective redundancies. According to earlier market analyses, 2025 was a record year in terms of announced layoffs. Approximately 97,600 job cuts were reported to labour offices, with a significant share linked to large companies, including the national postal service and shared service centres, where automation and the expansion of artificial intelligence have accelerated organisational changes.
The latest figures suggest that the Polish labour market remains relatively stable but shows early signs of cooling. Whether the increase in unemployment will prove temporary or evolve into a longer-term trend will become clearer in the coming months.
