Poland's jobless rate climbed to 19.1 percent in December, rising for the first time in 10 months, according to government figures released Monday.
The unemployment rate rose from 18.7 percent in November following a gradual decline over the course of last year.
Although it has fallen from 20.6 percent last January, Poland still has the highest jobless rate in the 25-member European Union.
In December, just under 3 million people were out of work, an increase of 57,000 from the previous month. Economy Minister Jerzy Hausner had said the government hoped the jobless rate would remain below 19 percent at the end of 2004.
Formerly communist Poland is the largest of 10 nations that joined the EU last May.
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