The Level of Modern Services Development in Poland. Regional Approach

Service activity, which is an essential part of the modern economy, is constantly changing. These changes are conditioned by economic processes resulting, among others, from technological progress, the growing globalization process and increasing competitiveness. The aim of the article is: (1) to identify modern services (based on contemporary literature on the subject), (2) characteristics of the level of development of modern services in Poland compared to other European Union countries, (3) analysis of the level of development of modern services in Poland in regional approach. Data used in the analysis come from the local data bank of the Central Statistical Office and Eurostat. The Perkal synthetic index and cluster analysis were used. The results of the research lead to the following conclusions. In a comprehensive perspective, the following voivodeships are characterized by a high level of development of modern services: Masovian, Lesser Poland, Lower Silesian and Pomeranian. The high position of the Masovian voivodeship is the result of its highest position in the majority of the analyzed categories of modern services (except education and medical). The Lesser Poland voivodeship was in this class mainly due to the high level of development of educational and R&D services, and the Lower Silesian and Pomeranian voivodships - thanks to professional services. The low level of modern services is primarily characterized by economically weak voivodeships of Eastern Poland and voivodeships: Lubusz, Swietokrzystkie and Opole. The regional distribution of the value of the synthetic level indicator for the development of modern services clearly refers to the distribution of the general level of socio-economic development of the voivodeships. Detailed confirmation of this relationship requires additional research.