Poland's GDP shows strong growth in 3Q

WARSAW, Poland --Poland's economy grew at an unexpectedly robust annual rate of 5.8 percent in the third quarter, according to preliminary government figures released Thursday.

The Central Statistical Office said gross domestic product accelerated from an annual growth rate of 5.5 percent in the previous quarter.

The growth exceeded economists' average forecast. They had expected Poland's economy to have expanded 5.5 percent, as already booming investments and exports received a boost from consumer spending.

Poland, a formerly communist country which joined the European Union in 2004, has long grappled with the highest unemployment rate in the 25-member bloc. However, the country's jobless rate dropped to 14.9 percent in October, putting it well below a peak of 20.7 percent in February 2003.

Many foreign firms have invested in Poland, drawn by a skilled work force and labor costs that are low compared with Western Europe.