Rynek pracy i bezrobocie (pojęcia ogólne)

The article deals with research on labour market and unemployment against the background of the country’s present socio-economic situation. It analyzes the transition from a centrally-planned economy to a system resembling a social market economy and the role of the State in transformations during the transition period. The further analysis covers definitions of the labour market, its division into submarkets including regional, sectorial and others, the policy pursued on the labour market in this the policy od self-government organs, the active policy with its target of full employment, the primary and secondary division of the labour market, definitions of the unemployment concept, legal regulations pertaining to it in the Polish legislation, the classification of unemployment according to its duration (temporary or fractional, emergency and seasonal, structural or local, cyclic, stagflationary), and the employment policy aimed at alleviating the consequences of unemployment including the policy in this field pursued by self-government organs. The labour market and unemployment call for further intensive studies on the macro scale and in regional cross-sections. Spatial differentiations of unemployment according to Poland’s administrative provinces are very considerable, the diversification of the labour market is dependent upon the attained level of socio-economic development. There should be analyzed the degree to which the statistics of labour reflect the need for studies and analyses. It is also necessary to coordinate and consolidate research conducted by different research institutions and ministerial units of the labour market and unemployment.