When presenting this monographic study to you we would like to propose taking a new approach to the analysis of socio-economic phenomena in space – the labour market areas (LMAs). These areas are one of the proposals for delimitation developed in the spirit of the territorial and functional approach. It is based on the delineation of fragments of geographical space determined by the function of work. The presented approach to the territory is consistent with the stream of research, which is widely used in European countries to explain spatial structures, and indirectly also to detect patterns and cause-effect relationships occurring in local systems, and may be also useful to increase the effectiveness of development activities (for instance through releasing unused potential) and initiating grassroots development processes.