Despite the Covid-19 crisis, the unemployment rate in most Polish regions was below 3.6 percent in 2020, according to data published on Wednesday by Eurostat. Wielkopolska voivodeship can boast of the lowest unemployment in Europe. In 2020, unemployment in 229 out of 240 regions of the European Union Member States ranged between 1.8 percent and 27.8 percent.
The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the Wielkopolskie voivodeship – 1.8 percent, in two Czech regions: central and south-western Czech Republic – 1.9 percent and 2 percent respectively. Lubuskie voivodeship (Poland) was placed just behind the podium – 2.2 percent.
Of the 229 EU regions for which data are available, 52 have an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent or less, that is half the EU average of 7.1 percent. This group included thirteen regions from Poland, twelve from Germany, seven from the Czech Republic, six from the Netherlands, four from Hungary, three each from Austria and Belgium, two from Bulgaria and one each from Romania and Slovakia.
On the other hand, 27 regions had an unemployment rate of at least 14.2 percent, that is double the EU average: eleven were in Greece, nine in Spain, four in France and three in Italy.