SOCIAL DIAGNOSIS - CHOSEN ISSUES

Below we present chosen facts related to socio-economic situation in Poland. All presented factors come from the social diagnosis which constitutes a part of National Action Plan on Social Inclusion. The Plan was elaborated by the Ministry of Social Policy in 2004.

Situation on the labour market
The unemployment in Poland has a structural character. The determinants are: age, education, region of living, sex and disability.

Groups with the most difficult situation on the labour market are:
- young people - the unemployment rate in this group exceeded to 40%
- persons with lower education - the unemployment rate is the highest in the group of persons with primary or incomplete primary education (25%)
- workers in the immobile age - above 45 years, total unemployment rate amounts 58,8%
- women - in 2003 the economic activity rate for women amounted to 58% (for men 70%), women employment rate was 46%, for men 56,6%
- persons with disabilities - employment rate and economic activity in this group is very low: approx. 24% of the disabled are working

People below poverty line
During transition period the processes that took place significantly influenced the changes in the living situation of different types of households. Since 1993, total real incomes have increased. Differentiation between incomes in various socio-economic groups has enlarged.

In 2002, 17% people had at their disposal income lower than 60% of the median national income. It is a value close to the EU15 average. However, in Poland there was observed much lower standard of living and much more difficult situation of poor people comparing to similar group of poor people in EU15 countries.

Education
According to the NC 2002 as compared to the previous census of 1988, the population education level improved:
- the percentage of persons with tertiary education increased from 6.5% to 10.2%). 
- the early school leavers constitute only 6.3% of young people aged 18-24 - it is a lower than a half of that in EU-15.
- at present in Poland there are high enrolment rates in secondary and tertiary education, particularly among women, thanks to an increase in access to different types of schools and also in connection with implementation of the educational system in 1999 focusing on development of secondary and tertiary education.

Social exclusion
On the basis of accessible data, it can be specified that factors determining difficulties of Poles to the highest degree include:
- unemployment, mainly long-term unemployment
- long-term illness and disability,
- living in family with many children,
- bringing children up alone,
- low level of education,
- living in rural areas, small towns or underdeveloped areas.

Source: National Action Plan on Social Inclusion, Ministry of Social Policy 2004.
Full text of the Plan, including social diagnosis is available below (PDF).