More people working and fewer accidents at work
Published: 26 April 2007
Compared with 2004, the number of economically active persons in Poland increased by 321,000 workers in 2005, amounting to an overall workforce of 14.1 million people. Looking at the gender distribution of the workforce, men account for 55.3% of the total. The number of unemployed persons, meanwhile, decreased from 3.2 million people to three million; 51% of the total are men. According to figures gathered by the Central Statistical Office for Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny, GUS [1]) for the first three quarters of 2006, the number of working Poles stood at 14.9 million people (55.4% of whom were men) and the number of unemployed persons totalled 2.2 million.[1] http://www.stat.gov.pl/
The Polish Ministry of the Economy has published a report setting out data concerning economic activity and inactivity, job security and the social insurance system. It shows that the situation continues to improve with regard to combating unemployment, and it also examines the incidence of accidents in the workplace and resulting compensation claims. However, the continuing emigration of young, well-educated workers and the low average retirement age remain of particular concern.
Employment profile
Compared with 2004, the number of economically active persons in Poland increased by 321,000 workers in 2005, amounting to an overall workforce of 14.1 million people. Looking at the gender distribution of the workforce, men account for 55.3% of the total. The number of unemployed persons, meanwhile, decreased from 3.2 million people to three million; 51% of the total are men. According to figures gathered by the Central Statistical Office for Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny, GUS) for the first three quarters of 2006, the number of working Poles stood at 14.9 million people (55.4% of whom were men) and the number of unemployed persons totalled 2.2 million.
The Polish Ministry of the Economy (Ministerstwo Gospodarki, MG) has published a report based on the GUS data on employment and unemployment, job security and the social insurance system. The research indicates a sustained decrease in the number of unemployed persons and of the unemployment rate, beginning in 2003; that year brought the first clear signs of improvement in the Polish job market (see Table).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 11.4 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 13.1 |
| 2000 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 14.5 | 15.1 |
| 2001 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 16.1 | 16.0 | 15.9 | 15.9 | 16.0 | 16.2 | 16.3 | 16.4 | 16.8 | 17.5 |
| 2002 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 20.1 | 19.9 | 19.2 | 19.4 | 19.4 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 19.5 | 19.7 | 20.0 |
| 2003 | 20.6 | 20.7 | 20.6 | 20.3 | 19.8 | 19.7 | 19.6 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 19.5 | 20.0 |
| 2004 | 20.6 | 20.6 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 19.5 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 18.9 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 19.0 |
| 2005 | 19.4 | 19.4 | 19.2 | 18.7 | 18.2 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 18.9 | 18.7 | 18.7 | 19.0 |
| 2006 | 18.8 | 18.0 | 17.8 | 17.2 | 16.5 | 16.0 | 15.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 14.8 | 14.9 |
| 2007 | 15.1 |
Source: GUS data
Reasons for unemployment
The data published by GUS also shed new light on the possible reasons why many Poles remain without work. In 2004, the two largest groups of unemployed persons consisted of:
persons losing their jobs after an absence, for example, after sick leave or maternity leave – approximately 44%;
persons who lost their jobs without any absence – approximately 31%.
However, the proportion of the latter group in the total number of unemployed persons has been consistently declining, which may indicate increasing levels of job security. In 2000, people who lost their jobs without having gone on extended leave accounted for 54% of all jobless Poles; by 2003, this group had dwindled to 43.4% and, by 2005, the proportion stood at 29.5%. As at the end of February 2007, no relevant data had been published for 2006.
Accidents at work
In 2004, the incidence of accidents at work – measured in terms of the number of victims per 1,000 employees – was 8.35, decreasing to 7.99 in 2005. By the end of February 2007, no data in this regard had been published for 2006. Accidents at work were most frequent (with indices in excess of 8.00) in sectors such as: mining and quarrying; manufacturing; agriculture, hunting and forestry; construction; health and social work; electricity, gas and water supply; transport, storage and communications; and fishing. (See also the 2007 EWCO survey report on decreasing health risks and accidents at the workplace in Poland.)
Social insurance benefits
In late 2005, the number of insured persons registered with the state-administered Social Insurance Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych, ZUS) was 13.1 million people – 273,500 or 2.1% less than in late 2004. At the same time, social insurance was being drawn by some 7.2 million pensioners and persons unable to work on health grounds. The average retirement or disability benefit in 2005 stood at PLN 1,127 (approximately €282, as at 7 March 2007), PLN 30 (€7.50) higher than in 2004. In January 2007, the average retirement or disability benefit had further increased to PLN 1,285 (€321).
In 2005, a decline was noted in the number of compensation claims referring to accidents in the workplace; 91,800 such pay-outs were made, 9,500 (9.4%) less than the year before. Meanwhile, the average pay-out for accident victims in 2005 was 2.6% lower than in 2004, at PLN 3,245 (€811). By the end of February 2007, no such data had been published for 2006.
Commentary
These statistics point to a clear improvement of the situation in the Polish labour market. Nevertheless, the changes are too modest to merit unqualified optimism for the future. The emigration of young, relatively well-educated Poles seeking better paid work abroad continues unabated. At the same time, Polish pensioners are among the most numerous in any EU country, with the average age of retirement being among the lowest in the EU.
Jacek Sroka, Institute of Public Affairs (ISP)
Eurofound recommends citing this publication in the following way.
Eurofound (2007), More people working and fewer accidents at work, article.
