Photo: Glow Images

New figures from the GUS Central Statistical Agency reveal that the unemployment rate in January stood at 13 percent, up from 12.3 percent in December.

The total amount of unemployed people in Poland amounts to around 2.1 million, while during the month of January only 46,600 employment offers were posted in job centres nationwide.

The highest unemployment rate was noted in the Warmia-Masurian province, with 21.1 percent unemployment and Western Pomerania with 18.5 percent.

The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the Mazovian and Wielkopolskie provinces (9.8 percent), Silesia (10.6 percent) and Malopolska (11 percent).

43.9 percent of those unemployed come from rural Poland.

The announcement comes after speculation from the deputy labour minister Czeslawa Ostrowska, Tuesday, that unemployment will drop from 13 percent to 10 percent by the end of the year. (jb)

Source: PAP