The unemployment rate registered in December 2018 amounted to 5.9 percent, as results from the initial data of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy. At the end of the last year, the number of the unemployed amounted to 971.3 thousand persons.

The minimum wage will amount to PLN 2,250 as of 1 January 2019. This is by PLN 150 more than in the previous year and by PLN 500 more than in 2015. Whereas, the minimum hourly rate amounts to PLN 14.70.

Significant changes to the Large Family Card are coming. As of 1 January 2019 the card authorising to many discounts will be granted to parents who have or had at least three dependent children, irrespectively of their age at the moment of submitting the application.

As of the beginning of the new year we are going to face changes in the act on limitation of trade on Sundays and holidays and some other days. Soon, shopping will be possible only on the last Sunday of the month and not, as it has been so far, on the first and last.

Systematically increasing remunerations, lower and lower unemployment rate and record number of 16.6 million of working Poles. Moreover, a few provisions facilitating employers’ lives. In 2018, the predominant aim was to further improve the situation in the labour market.

80 million PLN to create and run Day Homes and “Senior+” Clubs, more than 380 municipalities in the “Care 75+” programme, continuation of the hugely popular Government Programme Social Engagement of the Elderly (ASOS), and more money to pensioners with the lowest income - this is, briefly, what the senior citizen policy of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy was about this year.

“I would like to wish all patients and their families a lot of health and all the best in the New Year” – said the Minister, Elżbieta Rafalska while visiting the Paediatric Ward of the Military Institute of Medicine in Warsaw.

The unemployment decline, the increase in remunerations and employees’ protection – those are the most important changes that occurred in the market place in the last three years.

Improvement in the quality of families’ lives, better care of children, bigger support, digitalisation and discounts in everyday shopping – the last three years have bought significant changes in the family policy.

Activation of maintenance debtors, higher penalties for dishonest employers illegally employing them, as well as increasing the income criterion entitling to a benefit from the maintenance fund – those are the main assumptions of the government’s amendment that was supported by the Senate on Friday. Due to the changes, additional 60 thousand of children will be able to benefit from the fund.