During the final press briefing of the year, Minister of Labour, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk and Deputy Minister, Sebastian Gajewski, talked about the most important changes and solutions in the labour law and the social security system that will enter into force on 1 January 2026. And we start with a free Christmas Eve already this year!

On 13 December 2025, the Act on Collective Labour Agreements and Collective Bargaining Agreements entered into force. This is an important step towards strengthening of social dialogue and a modern, flexible labour law in Poland.

Maja Nowak, a social activist, a politician, an interpreter-guide for the deaf-blind, was appointed as the Government Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities and the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. We would like to express our gratitude to the former plenipotentiary, Łukasz Krasoń, for his commitment to supporting persons with disabilities and their families.

According to the estimates of the Ministry of Labour, the registered unemployment rate in Poland in November 2025 reached 5.7 per cent, slightly higher than in the previous month. Meanwhile, Eurostat indicates that Poland is still among the top countries of the European Union with the lowest level of unemployment. We were only overtaken by Malta.

To make it easier to conclude and register collective agreements, as well as to streamline the regulations governing them, the Ministry of Labour has prepared a draft that addresses the most important demands that social partners have been raising for years. On 27 November 2025, the President of Poland signed the Act.

The registered unemployment rate at the end of October 2025 stood at 5.6 per cent, the same level as a month ago. The slight increase in the number of unemployed indicates that the upward trend is slowing down. At the same time, Poland remains one of the countries with the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.

The Council of Ministers has adopted a draft law on personal assistance for people with disabilities. This is an important step towards providing daily support to those who need it. A ground-breaking project supporting the activity and independence of thousands of people in Poland has been developed by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

It's now certain - from 1 January 2026, periods of running a business and performing work under commission contracts will count towards seniority. This also applies to previous years. The President of Poland has signed a bill drafted by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy.

Nearly two thousand companies and institutions took part in the recruitment process for our pilot programme to reduce working hours while maintaining remuneration. Today, we are pleased to announce the results - 90 employers will have a unique opportunity to test various forms of reduced working hours, covering a total of over 5,000 employees.

In September 2025, the unemployment rate in Poland stood at 5.6%, according to estimates by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. Poland remains one of the countries with the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.