UNEMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS IN POLAND

Abstract

The deagrarization process which manifests itself through the systematic decreasing of the role of agriculture in the productive involvement of human labour, as well as providing income for maintaining the rural population is progressing in the Polish countryside. Statistical data, regardless of the source, shows an unfavourable situation on the labour market for the population residing in rural areas. In the recent years, the number of persons registered as being unemployed increased. At the end of 2011, registered unemployment in rural areas achieved a level of 874.5 thousand persons, and the residents of the rural areas constituted 44.11% of all the registered unemployed. Unemployment in rural areas is a derivative of unemployment in the entire economy, the low mobility of rural residents, as well as the limited possibilities of the labour market in rural areas. It differs from unemployment in urban areas. It is of a more permanent nature, and the labour market is not as flexible. Among the unemployed in rural areas, the non-agricultural population (not having farms) is in a much worse situation as compared to the population connected with agriculture.