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Published: 21 October 2014

Unemployment rate 8.2 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in September 2014 was 218,000, which was 19,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 8.2 per cent, having been 7.6 per cent in September of the year before. There were 29,000 more employed persons than in September of the previous year. In the third quarter (July to September), the unemployment rate was 7.5 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points higher compared with the corresponding period in 2013. Employment remained almost unchanged compared with July to September 2013.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/09–2014/09, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/09–2014/09, persons aged 15–74

In September 2014, the number of employed persons was 2,447,000, which was 29,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). The number of employed persons increased both in the private and the public sector compared with September 2013.

In September 2014, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.2 per cent, having been 67.3 per cent one year earlier. Men’s employment rate was 68.4 per cent and women’s 68.0 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.4 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 218,000 unemployed in September 2014, i.e. 19,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 118,000 and that of women 100,000.

At 8.2 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.6 percentage points higher in September than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent and women’s 7.7 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.5 per cent.

In September, there were a total of 651,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 237,000 were employed and 52,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 289,000. In September, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 17.9 per cent, which was the same as one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.4 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 8.0 per cent.

There were 1,432,000 persons in the inactive population in September 2014, which was 40,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 149,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 18,000 more than in September 2013.

Changes in employment 2013/09 – 2014/09 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2013/09 2014/09 2013/09 - 2014/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 088 4 097 0,2
Active population total 2 617 2 665 1,8
Employed 2 418 2 447 1,2
– employees 2 079 2097 0,8
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 339 350 3,3
Unemployed 199 218 9,8
Inactive population 1 471 1 432 –2,7
– Persons in disguised unemployment 131 149 14,0
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,3 68,2 0,9
Unemployment rate 7,6 8,2 0,6
Activity rate 64,0 65,0 1,0
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the third quarter of 2014

In the third quarter of 2014, the average number of employed persons was 2,487,000, which was slightly fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2013. The number of employed persons increased most in financial, insurance and real estate activities (K, L) and decreased in manufacturing (C).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was around 1.7 per cent higher in the third quarter of 2014 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of 2014 was 203,000, which was 12,000 more than in the period from July to September in 2013. The unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2014 was 7.5 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2013.

In the third quarter of 2014, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,406,000, which was the same as one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 141,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 18,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2013.

Changes in employment 2013/III – 2014/III according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Quarter Change
2013/III 2014/III 2013/III - 2014/III
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 681 2 690 0,3
Employed persons total 2 490 2 487 –0,1
Unemployed total 191 203 6,3
– men 104 110 6,1
– women 87 93 6,6
Inactive population 1 406 1 406 0,0
– Persons in disguised unemployment 123 141 14,8
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of September 2014, there were altogether 315,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as unemployed job seekers at the  employment and economic development offices. The number of unemployed job seekers was 30,000 higher than in September 2013.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's September in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (16%), Ostrobothnia (14%) and Varsinais-Suomi (11%). At the end of September, the number of persons fully laid off registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was 3,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 128,000 at the end of September, which was 14,000 more than in September of the previous year. Altogether, 4.8 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 42,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 5,000 higher than in last year’s September. During this September, 38,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 3,000 more than in September 2013.

Changes 2013/09 – 2014/09 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2013/09 2014/09 2013/09 - 2014/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 285 315 10,4
– unemployed over a year 77 93 20,7
Services, total 114 128 12,4
– employed 35 39 11,9
– in labour market training, in training 30 28 –5,7
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 10 11 2,4
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 38 50 29,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 35 38 9,7
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
1) The law reform that entered into force at the beginning of 2013 and the change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July increase the number of unemployed job seekers somewhat.

Links: Law reform 1 January 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure 1 July 2013

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Labour Force Survey tables in databases

About seasonally adjusted trend

The accuracy of figures and the margins of error are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey .

Comparison between the statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu

Job vacancy survey

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu


Source: Labour force survey 2014, September. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Liisa Larja 029 551 3461, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Tables

Tables in databases

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 21.10.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. September 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 23.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2014/09/tyti_2014_09_2014-10-21_tie_001_en.html