The latest data released by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy paints a troubling picture of the Polish job market. In September 2025, the registered unemployment rate rose to 5.6%, marking not only an increase compared to August, but—more alarmingly—a 0.6 percentage point rise compared to September 2024. This year-on-year surge is the clearest signal yet of a deteriorating economic climate and brings back memories of times when unemployment was one of the country’s biggest challenges.
On Monday, the Labour Ministry presented its latest unemployment estimates. According to an official statement from the Polish Press Agency (PAP), “the estimated registered unemployment rate in September was 5.6%, up by 0.1 percentage point from August.” This means that by the end of the month, 867,600 people were registered at employment offices.
However, it is the year-on-year comparison that raises the greatest concern. Official figures indicate that unemployment is “0.6 percentage points higher than in September 2024.”
This annual increase signals that the situation on the labour market is steadily worsening, and the economic safety cushion built up over the years is beginning to wear thin.
A 0.6 percentage point rise in unemployment within a year is a warning sign that cannot be ignored. It marks a return of negative trends that many had hoped were gone for good after 2015, when the job market began to improve systematically and unemployment dropped to historically low levels.
It is worth recalling that high unemployment was a hallmark of Donald Tusk’s first government. After he became prime minister in 2007, the unemployment rate initially fell, but soon began to rise sharply, reaching as much as 14.4% in February 2013. In some counties, the situation was dire, with joblessness exceeding 30%. For millions of Poles, that meant a lack of prospects, low wages, and often the necessity of economic emigration.
Only after 2015 was this trend reversed. Consistent economic and pro-family policies led to a significant drop in the number of unemployed.
Today’s data—combined with reports of mass layoffs—raise fears that Poland may be witnessing a return to those difficult times in the labour market. Although the Labour Ministry emphasizes that “Poland still ranks among EU countries with the lowest unemployment,” according to Eurostat methodology, domestic statistics show a clear and troubling upward trend—one that cannot be ignored.