Małopolska is the third region in Poland with the greatest number of students. There are 212 thousand students studying at 33 universities in the Voivodeship. Around 40 thousand students graduate in an academic year on average. Universities offer interesting majors adapting to the changing situation on the employment market: biotechnology, IT, materials engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, electronics, telecommunications, chemical technologies, industrial design, economics, finances and banking, management and marketing and philology (English, German and Romance). As a result, Małopolska is provided with qualified workforce.
Labour costs in the region are close to the average in the country. The average monthly gross salary in the business sector amounts to PLN 3,317.28 and is lower by 10% than the national average (PLN 3,617.16). Population in production age in the Małopolska Region (women 18-59 years old and men 18-64 years old) increased by the end of 2010 in relation to the previous year and amounted to 2,108,035. The unemployment rate in the Voivodeship is low comparing to the national average and amounts to 9.9% what gives 136 thousand unemployed.