In the first quarter of 2009 financial results in all sectors of the economy worsened and were much poorer compared to a year before. They were better however than those recorded in the fourth quarter of 2008.

In the first quarter of 2009 financial results recorded by the surveyed companies (17,440 companies employing 50 or more people) were poorer than a year before. Net profit was lower, the number of loss-making companies was up, and net loss was almost three times higher than a year before. All of the basic performance indicators deteriorated: the cost index worsened, the share of gross wages, external services and energy increased in total expenditure, while the share of materials decreased. It should be noted that the first-quarter results, with net profitability at 2.2%, were better than the results for the fourth quarter of 2008, when profitability was at -0.1%.

In the first quarter of 2009 the financial condition of enterprises was characterised by the following trends:
- Growth in revenues was slower than in business expenditures. Revenues from overall business operations were by 3.4% higher than a year before; business expenditures were higher by 6.6%. As a result the cost index worsened from 94.1% a year before to 97.1% in the first quarter of 2009;
- The companies generated a gross profit of PLN13.4 billion, compared to PLN25.7 billion in the previous year (down by almost 50%). The net profit reached PLN9.8 billion. Compared to the first quarter of 2008, the net profit was lower by almost 40%.
- A total of 62.3% of enterprises showed a net profit; their share in total revenue decreased from 80.7% to 69.5%. This means that the share of loss-making businesses stood at 38% in the first quarter;
- Net return on sales amounted to 2.2% in the first quarter of 2009 versus 4.8% a year before; in the fourth quarter the rate was negative;
- Of the surveyed companies, 45.2% reported exporting activity in the first quarter. Receipts from exports were lower by 4.4% year on year and the share of exports in total revenues dropped to 19.4% from 20.7%;
- Not all of the major sectors of the economy were profitable in the first quarter. Construction, hotels and restaurants showed a loss. In the manufacturing sector, losses were reported by oil processing companies and producers of wood products.