Poland has achieved a historic success in the labor market, recording the lowest unemployment rate in the entire European Union according to the latest Eurostat data for January 2026. Simultaneously, the national economy faces challenges: the State Treasury's debt has approached the psychological threshold of 2 trillion zloty, while the Polish currency and stock market show high volatility, rebounding from recent declines amid uncertain situations in China and the USA.

Record Low Unemployment

Eurostat confirmed that Poland has the lowest unemployment rate among all EU member states in January 2026.

State Debt Nearing Barrier

The State Treasury debt has risen to a level close to 2 trillion zloty, sparking debate over the stability of public finances.

Support for Defense Sector

BGK is launching a special credit guarantee program in May for small and medium-sized firms supporting national defense.

Stabilization on WSE and Forex Market

After a session full of declines, the Warsaw stock exchange and the Polish zloty began to recover losses, responding to signals from foreign markets.

The Polish economy has reached a turning point where spectacular successes in the labor market are intertwined with concerning data on public finances. According to the latest report from Eurostat, Poland recorded the lowest unemployment rate in the entire community, as confirmed by Finance Minister Andrzej Domański. This situation places the Polish labor market in a leading position, surpassing traditionally strong economies in the region in this regard. However, this success is contrasted by the record pace of public debt accumulation, which reached 1 trillion 998.3 billion zloty at the end of January 2026. After 1989, the Polish economy underwent a transformation from high structural unemployment in the 1990s, reaching 20%, to its current status as one of the most labor-absorbing markets in Europe.The situation in financial markets remains dynamic. After sharp declines on Tuesday, which erased a significant portion of this year's gains on the Warsaw exchange, Wednesday brought stabilization. The WIG20 index began to regain balance, and the Polish zloty stopped losing value against major currencies such as the dollar or euro. Investors are closely monitoring reports from global markets, especially from the USA, where service sector activity reached its highest level since 2022, and from China, where the private sector is performing significantly better than state-owned giants struggling with downward pressure. 1,99 bln zł — is the State Treasury debt at the end of January 2026 New guarantee programs are intended to support the Polish economy. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego announced the launch in May of a new credit guarantee program for small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the defense sector. This complements a wide range of aid that over the past 12 years has enabled the generation of loans worth over 412 billion zloty through de minimis guarantees. Despite the growing debt, the Coface agency decided to raise Poland's rating, suggesting that macroeconomic investment risk is assessed as controlled by international financial institutions. „Bezrobocie w Polsce jest obecnie najniższe w całej Unii Europejskiej, co dowodzi odporności naszej gospodarki na globalne wstrząsy.” (Unemployment in Poland is currently the lowest in the entire European Union, which demonstrates the resilience of our economy to global shocks.) — Finance Minister of the Republic of Poland

Mentioned People

  • Andrzej Domański — Finance Minister of the Republic of Poland, commenting on unemployment data.
  • Donald Tusk — Prime Minister of Poland, mentioned in the context of the government's financial policy.