According to the data from the EU statistical office, the unemployment rate in Poland stood at 2.9% in December when compared to 3% in November. The lower rate was recorded only by the Czech Republic – 2.3%, and the equal one – by Germany.

From 1 February, parents and guardians may submit applications for 500+ for the new benefit period. Submitting the application by the end of April guarantees the continuity of payment of benefits. The support in the amount of PLN 500 is granted for each child under 18, regardless of family income.

The „Active+” Programme is a government subsidy programme for non-governmental sector organisations, implemented by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.

On Wednesday, a press briefing was held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Social Policy with the participation of Deputy Minister Paweł Wdówik, Government Plenipotentiary for Disabled People, Dorota Habich - Deputy President of the Board for Programme Affairs, State Fund for Rehabilitation of Disabled People (PFRON) and Tomasz Maruszewski - Deputy President of the Board for Financial Affairs, PFRON.

The Warsaw Stock Exchange presented the report „Reskilling” on reskilling of Polish employees. The presentation was accompanied by a debate „Reskilling of employees, corporate social responsibility or a solution to the absence of specialists?”, attended by Barbara Socha, Government Plenipotentiary for Demographic Policy.

President Andrzej Duda signed the Act permanently introducing remote work to the Labour Code. The issues of sobriety checks of employees were also regulated. – This is an important step towards creating a modern labour market, responding to the changing needs of both employers and employees, including employees being parents – says the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg.

Sheltered housing allows persons with disabilities to function as independently as possible and also contributes to improving the quality of life in their local environment. – In 2023, thanks to the co-financing provided by the state, another 61 sheltered flats with places for 153 persons will be built. The amount of co-financing for local governments for this purpose is almost PLN 13 million – indicates the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg.

Minister Marlena Maląg attended the first reading of the draft amendment to the Labour Code, which was held today in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. The amendments proposed by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy are good for parents and improve the situation of employees. The questions asked by the MPs were answered by Deputy Minister Stanisław Szwed.

From 1 January, every senior has access to the electronic form of a old age and disability pensioner’s identity card - the so-called mLegitymacja. It is already used by about 130 thousand beneficiaries. At a press briefing, the Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg, Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister Adam Andruszkiewicz and Professor Gertruda Uścińska, President of the Social Insurance Institution, talked about including elderly people in the digital world.

Barbara Socha, Government Plenipotentiary for Demographic Policy, presented a new version of the Toddler+ programme in the Sejm. The new programme receives an enormous, unprecedented budget – more than PLN 5.5 billion for the coming years until 2029 – said the Deputy Minister.