The paper shows regional variation of unemployment in Poland and indicates its main determinants, especially the role played by supply and demand sides of the labour market, regional economic structures and employment flexibility. The analysis shows the highest unemployment in the regions with the predomination of state agricultural farms in pre-transformation period and traditional industries which did not get financial support from the government. The best situation in the labour market is in the regions with modern economic structures and traditional industries which got support from the state. Market mechanisms operating in the transformation period did not reduce regional variation of unemployment. State regional and structural policy should be addressed at two types of regions: with highly developed traditional industries which require deep restructuring and agricultural regions which require transfer of labour force from agriculture to services Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 zostało dofinansowane ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej naukę