Monday, 30 March 2026
The Labour Market Indicator, which signals potential changes in unemployment, declined by nearly one percentage point in March, reversing a sharp increase recorded in February. In that month, the registered unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points compared with January and stood 0.7 percentage points higher than a year earlier.
These figures are influenced by regulatory changes introduced in June last year, when new legislation governing public employment services came into force. As a result, comparisons over time remain limited. At the same time, cyclical factors, including weaker labour demand reported by businesses, continue to affect the data, alongside the impact of institutional changes.
Only a portion of job vacancies created in the economy are reported to employment offices. The share of such vacancies increased steadily from around 2013, reaching a peak in 2017, before declining in subsequent years. One measure of this trend is the ratio of registered vacancies to newly registered unemployed individuals. This stood at 0.35 in November 2013, rose to 1.23 in November 2017, fell to 0.70 in November 2024 and declined further to 0.30 in November 2025. This indicates that, in recent periods, there have been fewer vacancies available per newly registered jobseeker than in earlier years.
A notable drop in vacancies reported to job centres has been observed since June 2025, when the ePraca system replaced the previous CBOP platform. Since then, the monthly inflow of vacancies has averaged around 40 percent of the levels recorded in the same months of the previous year. While this may reflect reduced employer demand, the system change also limits comparability and suggests that some recruitment activity may be shifting to alternative channels.
In February 2026, the number of vacancies submitted to labour offices increased by 20 percent month-on-month, although the total remained relatively low at around 25,000 nationwide. Data from the Job Vacancy Barometer, which tracks online job advertisements, showed a modest increase in February following four consecutive months of decline. However, vacancy levels remain below those recorded a year earlier.
Taken together, these indicators suggest that labour demand has weakened, although the decline appears less pronounced when measured through online job postings than through employment office data. The discrepancy reflects structural changes in recruitment practices, including the growing use of specialised job platforms and direct hiring methods, as well as instances where positions are filled without formal advertisements.
Survey data from Poland’s statistics office indicate subdued employer sentiment. Assessments of the overall situation in the industrial sector have deteriorated slightly on a monthly basis, while employment outlook indicators remain negative and close to their lowest levels in recent years.
The legislative changes introduced in mid-2025 were intended to expand access to jobcentre registration, support labour market activation and adjust certain administrative measures. While these reforms may influence unemployment figures through higher registration levels and slower outflows, recent data show limited short-term impact. In February 2026, the inflow of newly registered unemployed individuals was 3.5 percent lower than in January and around 3 percent below the level recorded a year earlier.
At the same time, the number of people leaving unemployment due to taking up work increased by 15 percent month-on-month in February, reaching a level comparable to that of February 2025. Over the period from June 2025 to February 2026, however, the average monthly outflow into employment remained broadly unchanged compared with the previous year, while new registrations were stable overall and slightly lower on an annual basis. This suggests that, so far, the new regulatory framework has not significantly altered participation in public employment services.
Source: BIEC
