WARSAW, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Poland's unemployment rate reached 11.9 percent in December 2009, the Ministry of Labor said in a press release on Thursday.

    According to the ministry, the number of unemployed at the end of December reached 1.893 million, up 82,000 from the end of November.

    The number of the unemployed in the entire 2009 grew by 419,300 or 28.5 percent.

    "December, like November, is a time of conclusion of seasonal work in the construction, forestry, horticulture branches as well as a period of the return of the unemployed to labor offices after their participation in active forms of unemployment prevention schemes," the ministry said.

    The ministry added that the end-of-the-year period is also a time of expiration of work contracts.

    The number of job offers sent to labor offices in December reached 40,900. Compared to November it was lower by 25.3 percent.

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