Data come from a sample survey: Labour Force Survey (LFS). The survey is conducted on a quarterly basis, using the continuous observation method (movable survey week) what allows presenting the situation on the labour market during a whole quarter. The survey covers persons aged 15-89, who are members of households in dwellings selected on a random basis. The scope of the survey does not include household members staying (the total actual and planned stay is taken into account) 12 months or more abroad and in collective households (such as: employee hotels, student dormitories, boarding houses, social care centres etc.) and the homeless.

In the context of economic activity - work is the main criterion in dividing the population, i.e. performing, holding or seeking work. According to the international standards, the three main categories are distinguished: employed, unemployed and economically inactive persons. The employed, unemployed are the economically active population.

 Among the employed are included all persons aged 15-89 who during the reference week:

1. performed for at least one hour any work generating pay or income, i.e. were employed in a company/public institution or by a private employer, worked on their own (or leased) agricultural farm, or conducted their own economic activity outside agriculture, assisted (without pay) in conducting family agricultural farm or family economic activity outside agriculture,

2. had work but did not perform it:

• due to illness or holiday leave, leave related to parenthood (maternity, childcare, paternity or parental leave), organisation of working time (work system or overtime collection), training related to the performed work,

• due to the seasonal character of the work, if they still regularly performed off-season their work or business conducting related tasks and responsibilities (excluding legal or administrative obligations),

• for other reasons, if the anticipated break in employment did not exceed 3 months.

According to international standards, among employees are also included persons performing outwork and apprentices with whom enterprises or natural persons signed a contract for occupational training or learning skills for a particular job (if they receive a payment).

The employed do not include: volunteers and interns who do not receive remuneration, people working in private engaged in the production of agricultural products solely or mainly for their own needs.

Data relating to economic sectors have been prepared on the basis of the Polish Classification of Activities (PKD 2007).

The non-agricultural sector includes sections B-U: ‘Mining and quarrying’, ‘Manufacturing’, ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’, ‘Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities’, ‘Construction’, ‘Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles’, ‘Transportation and storage’, ‘Accommodation and food service activities’,’ Information and communication’, ‘Financial and insurance activities’, ‘Real estate activities’, ‘Professional, scientific and technical activities’,’ Administrative and support service activities’, ‘Public administration and defence; compulsory social security’,’Education’, ‘Human health and social work activities’,’ Arts, entertainment and recreation’, ‘Other service activities’,’ Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use’,’ Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies’.

Due to the implementation of methodological changes in the survey, LFS data from 2021 onward cannot be compared with previous years. Due to the lack of comparability with previous years, data are presented from 2021.