Despite the global economic downturn that has sunk most of the world's developed economies, putting millions of people out of work, Poland saw a 0.2 percentage point drop on month-to-month employment figures to 10.8 percent in May, according to Central Statistical Office (GUS). The number of Poles who were unemployed at the end of May was 1.68 million, 36,500 less than the previous month.

Compared to the same period in 2008, unemployment in May increased most in the Wielkopolskie voivodship (23.3%), followed by Lubuskie and Podlaskie (with 21.7 % and 19.6% respectively).