Cyclical Fluctuations in Poland

Abstract

The paper discusses cyclical fluctuations of BTS and CS indicators of economic activity in Poland in recent years. The set of indicators covers: manufacturing, construction, transport, retail trade, banking, agriculture and households, both separately and all together (composite indicator). The cycle of gross value added (GVA) is also analysed for reference purpose only. The analysis is focused on the effects of the recent global financial and economic crisis. The main finding is that the crisis was conducive to collapse of the real economy, much more profound than during previous downturns. The collapse was extensive but short-lasting, with all the industries turning into an expansion quite fast. The analysis also confirmed the leading characteristics of the BTS and CS indicators and their intensity be higher than that of GVA. (original abstract)