Warsaw - Polish retail sales in May were up by 1.1 per cent over the same period last year, and unemployment fell slightly, the Central Statistical Office said Thursday as the country continued to fare better in the global recession than much of Europe.

Unemployment in May was 10.8 per cent compared to 11 per cent in April, the office said, with a total of 1.68 million registered unemployed.

Some 560 companies declared they would soon lay off some 30,500 employees, compared to 9,700 expected lay-offs in 2008.(dpa)