On my first day back home, I switched on the TV for the local news. Poland is quite a large country, and its various regions differ from each other not only in terms of economy and prosperity, but even in language, which makes TV viewing interesting with the wide variety of local programming on offer.
It certainly provides some relief from the endless news of economic woe. But my disappointment returned as soon as the news presenter mentioned the issue of Poland’s job market. It seems hundreds more people are about to lose their jobs in the following months with over 40 companies expected to close or restrict their business.
The news cut to footage from the job centre, where 30 people were shown applying for one position – twice as many as would have been the year before. The numbers clearly indicated that I was not the only one who decided to come home.
Yet my area did not look so bad. After all, I happen to come from one of the wealthiest parts of the country, and definitely the leading area of the Upper Silesia region.
As I write this, I have an appointment at the local job office coming up. So I’m now asking myself, should I open the 300-page governmental guide for emigrants returning to Poland, the so-called Powrotnik?
Or should I simply act naïve, flash a smile and tell them I came here to apply for training at any local company that’s hiring – neglecting to mention my two-month-plan, to work for the summer and be back in Dublin for the final stages of the GAA championships? We’ll see, we’ll see.
– Anna Paluch
