As expected, the registered unemployment rate in Poland rose in February compared to both the previous month and to February 2011, statistics office GUS said. The February 2012 rate was 14.4 percent, up by 0.2 percentage points month-on-month and by one point year-on-year.

GUS also said that there were 2,336,700 unemployed persons registered in Poland in February, compared to 2,295,700 in January.

Economists from Bank Zachodni WBK stressed that the jobless rate would be higher if not for the Labor Ministry's intervention. “On the other hand, it is worth noting that rise in the unemployment rate is mainly due to growing labour force, not due to reductions in workplaces,” they wrote in a comment.

“We are expecting that the unemployment rate may climb slightly in March and then it will
fall, in line with the seasonal pattern. However, it may still be above 14% at the year-end,” the economists wrote.

KW