UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF LABOUR FORCE SURVEY AND NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT OFFICES - MEASUREMENT PROBLEM BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF POLISH REGIONS

The algorithm for measuring many economic phenomena can be formulated in many ways. Unemployment rate constitutes an excellent example in this matter. Its basic variant is defined as the quotient of unemployed people number and the working population (unemployed and employed), however, sometimes it is indicated that this relationship is based on the number of unemployed people and the production age population. Solving this alternative does not seem difficult. Adopting conventional definitions of unemployment rate components is much more complicated, i.e. the definition of an unemployed and an employed person. Different interpretations of meanings ingrained in these concepts result in an indicator value variation which, by assumption, is supposed to describe accurately the intensity of unemployment phenomenon in a given population. This problem is well visible based on the example of Polish regions (unemployment rate measurement within the framework of Labour Force Survey and national employment offices). Therefore, it seems founded to pose a question - what should be done to make national and/or international unemployment statistics more credible? An attempt to solve this problem determines the logical sequence of the discussion presented in the hereby paper (problem identification - recommended solutions).