Polish unemployment dips to 15.6 percent

WARSAW, Poland --Poland's unemployment rate dipped to a five-year low of 15.6 percent in August, down from 15.7 percent a month earlier, the Labor Ministry said Thursday.

The ministry attributed the fall to warm summer temperatures, which have created seasonal jobs in sectors including agriculture, forestry, gardening, construction and tourism.

Final August unemployment figures are due at the end of this month, but they rarely diverge significantly from the preliminary numbers.

Poland's jobless rate has gradually declined since its post-1989 peak of 20.7 percent in February 2003. However, it remains the highest in the European Union, which the country joined in 2004.