Poland's Unemployment Rate Drops

Poland's unemployment rate dropped to 13 or 13.1 percent in May, according to preliminary figures released Monday by the Labor Ministry.

Labor Minister Anna Kalata said that the jobless rate fell from 13.7 percent in April thanks to jobs created by seasonal work in gardening, construction, road building and tourism.

The estimate was based on preliminary data, and the ministry was to release a more precise estimate on Wednesday.

The improvement comes amid the strongest economic growth that the former communist country of 38 million has seen in 10 years, with year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 7.4 percent.

Unemployment has also fallen amid the departure of hundreds of thousands of Poles to Britain and Ireland to work.

Poland's jobless rate has declined gradually since its post-1989 peak of 20.7 percent in February 2003, but remains the highest in the expanded European Union.

Source: chron.com