SPATIAL PATTERNS ON THE LABOUR MARKET ON RURAL AREAS IN POLAND

Abstract

Labour market in rural areas is diversified across Poland. Different processes have been influenced it during the last years. The study deals with spatial approach to sectoral structure of employment, including also characteristics for males and females. It was based on the data of the Central Statistical Office of Poland refereeing to the numbers of employees in three sectors: (a) agriculture, forestry and fishing like services; (b) industry and construction; (c) services. A new European Union typology of: predominantly rural, intermediate, and predominantly urban regions, based on a variation of the OECD methodology, was applied. Graphical presentation of the sectoral employment structures across NUTS 3 regions was used.
Generally in Poland, very similar proportions of rural inhabitants work in agriculture, forestry and fishing like in the sector of services (third sector). In 2013, in predominantly rural regions, 37 % of inhabitants worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing (respectively 38 % of males, 37 % of females), 25 % of inhabitants worked in industry and construction (respectively 36 % of males, 15 % of females), and 37 % of inhabitants worked in services. Industry and construction is a sector important for employment of male rural inhabitants whereas services were typical for female employment. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is a very important sector of employment in the south-eastern part of Poland whereas the second and third sectors are more popular in the north-western part of Poland. Identification of these spatial patterns contributes to spatial characteristics of rural economies across Poland as well as it proves existence of a functional region, exceeding regional administrative boundaries, of high important of agriculture in the economy.

Keywords: employment, labour market, rural areas, spatial approach, agriculture, services.

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.122