Poverty in Poland

When I was n Katowice I saw many homeless,probably unemployed gathered in squares,outside churches etc.Everywhere there were big advertisements to work abroad.I had come from Czech Republic and the difference was obvious.In Poland prices are much higher,they are almost at level of western Europe.Salary is 2500 zloty in big cities but a lot lower in small cities.Unemployment rate maybe 30% among young persons and in poorer regions it is higher.There are some causes ofr these problems.

Anyway in Poland there is a big middle class unlike in Ukraine or Russia and the economy will improve rapidly.

agrees with bubba, from an outsiders point of view there is many business ops available if people just stopped leaving.

so ture... every time i go to poland i see another great opportunity... many of which need very little start-up capital... just a touch of positivity and a splash of know-how...

it seems sometimes people have lost their motivation and think it's easier to move overseas to the greener pastures

The is a site called Poverty.org, which primarily deals with stats for the UK, it is well laid out and quite easy to navigate and deceminate. It has a section regarding the european Union, which holds some data regarding Poland. Certainly worth checking out if people are interested. Now as could be expected Poland tends towards the more poverty stricken end of the scale, however, despite the Uk's seeming wealth it ranks suprisingly close to Poland.

unemployment is maybe 12-14 % not 30%


is a bit outdated as it was Last updated 2/6/98

Whoops, thanks for pointing that out, my bad. i'll try and dig up something more relevant.

some more dirt?

Official unemployment is 18%.There are regions with more than 25%.For young persons without job experience it is bigger.It is also probably bigger in the 40's over group who did bot have the cahnce to get new skills after communism fell.

official unemployment is high but you must realize that many people work under the table or "na czarno" for cash and many young people go to the U.K. to work so the unofficial unemployment rate is much lower than your 18%.

Do you think that the amount of people claiming disability benefits, who aren't disabled, distorts the findings?

are you saying? kombinuja?

Ha ha a more upto date report, again, not gospel but definately interesting.

At just over 14%, Poland has the highest rate of unemployment in the EU. The rate has fallen significantly in the last few years, however, as Poland's economy improves and as people leave the country.

Some think a more realistic unemployment figure is between 7% and 10% as the 'structurally unemployed' make up a large proportion of the overall figure.

The 'structurally unemployed' are not skilled, not mobile, do not speak languages other than Polish and have been unemployed for ten years of more.

AdvertisementIf the country wants to spend the €67 billion it is receiving in EU Cohesion Funds between this year and 2013, it will have to stem the flow of skilled construction workers, many of whom come to Ireland for better pay.

Better pay in Ireland is leading to inflation in Poland. Polish companies pay more to retain staff and this pushes up prices in every area of construction - from the single brick to the finished office block.

Niall Keyes, Grafton Recruitment's managing director for Central and Eastern Europe, says wage inflation for professionals is at 20% a year, and that there are early signs of people returning to Poland.

Wage inflation in construction is much higher and to further strengthen Poland's economy the country needs its skilled workers to go back.

In looking for new skilled workers, Poland has opened its labour market to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, with some employers even looking as far as China.

I think the situation is probably reflected throughout the EU, where cities have low unemployment and rural areas, with older less mobile populations have higher unemployment. Seems pretty obvious really. What is interesting is the thought that Poland is bringing in labour from other Eastern countries and even China.

Will this become a long term trend, will this start creating a class system where Ukrainians, Belarussians, Chinese, will become the new working class in Poland? Hmm doubt it.

Perhaps the buisness to be in would be in recruitment in the Ukraine for work in Poland. Correct me if I'm wrong but is there not a sizeable Polish minority in Ukraine. Perhaps this could be the group which would best assimalte into Poland.

Shocking Saga Of Korean Workers

A shocking article in the Gazeta Wyborcza revealed that workers from North Korea work almost for free at the Gdansk shipyard, cradle of the Solidarity trade union. The workers were supervised by a Korean communist party agent and blackmailed by the regime, which holds their families hostage. The workers are hired legally, as part of an "export service" provided by a Korean company. The shipyard pays their salaries to Selene, a mysterious Polish company which splits its profit with the North Korean government. The North Koreans are considered great workers. They work for twelve, sometimes sixteen hours per day. They are paid the equivalent of 15 euros monthly, but the costs of their housing and meals are covered, while the North Korean government receives the remainder of their 700 euro salaries.

Source: Radio Polonia
April.3.2006

old news Giles

Making emotional comments are a common phenomena with common people.

Anyways... I have stated the fact and I stick to it. If you have any basis on which you say that Poland is richer than Malaysia...please put that forward and share with us.


Offical 14%... they want to show it low... so what their teeth shine more when they are among other world leaders :) ... its simple isnt it.

there are jobs in Poland

for example in Warsaw there is a serious lack of tradesmen that can do tile, plumbing and hardwood floors since many of them have gone to England and Ireland for more $$$.

generaly speaking in construction Poland has a worker shortage and must bring in labour from Ukraine and other countries to meet the demand.

Yippy yi yea --- give two points to the social worker. Problem with social workers they don't know their ass from third base. Most of them don't even have an ass. They got big mouths and seem to know every f--k--g thing there is to know. Especially in sticking their noses in other peoples business. The Pole are good people and don't need some half breed dumb ass telling them how to live when you can't even wipe your nasty ass.

Lots of poverty in the U.K?? it is a myth to think the streets here are paved with gold......

Could I get a job in Poland??....I am a plumber/Heating engineer.........................What wages could I expect???.................

There're some very rich people in Poland but amjority of people here make about 1000zl which doesn't make them wealthy.

This is debatable.The way they measure poverty here in the UK means that some families/people with a decent roof over their heads,a car,computer,tv,hi-fi,foreign holidays are still considered as living in poverty.