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Published: 22 December 2015

Unemployment rate 8.2 per cent in November

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in November 2015 was 216,000, which was nearly the same as one year ago. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2 per cent compared with November 2014. There were 20,000 fewer employed persons than in November of the previous year. The number of persons in the inactive population was 28,000 higher than one year earlier.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/11–2015/11, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/11–2015/11, persons aged 15–74

In November 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,402,000, which was 20,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 7,000 fewer employed men and 13,000 fewer employed women than in November 2014.

In November, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year before. The employment rate for men decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 67.7 per cent, and that of women by 0.5 percentage points to 66.1 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 216,000 unemployed in November 2015, which was almost the same as one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 125,000 and that of women 90,000. The number of unemployed men grew by 7,000 persons, and that of unemployed women decreased by 7,000 persons.

At 8.2 per cent, the unemployment rate in November was the same as one year before. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent and women’s 7.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent.

In November, there were a total of 641,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 228,000 were employed and 48,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 276,000. In November, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 17.5 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.2 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 7.5 per cent.

There were 1,490,000 persons in the inactive population in November 2015, which was 28,000 more than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 151,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 5,000 fewer than in November 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/11–2015/11 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2014/11 2015/11 2014/11 - 2015/11
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 099 4 108 0,2
Active population total 2 637 2 617 –0,8
Employed 2 422 2 402 –0,8
– employees 2 074 2 074 0,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 348 327 –6,0
Unemployed 215 216 0,2
Inactive population 1 462 1 490 1,9
– persons in disguised unemployment 156 151 –3,0
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,3 66,9 –0,4
Unemployment rate 8,2 8,2 0,1
Activity rate 64,3 63,7 –0,6
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 November 2015, there were altogether 342,000 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 16,000 higher than in November 2014.

The number of unemployed job seekers increased in November from the corresponding period in 2014 in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from Kainuu (–6%): most in Uusimaa (9%) and South Savo (8%). At the end of November, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 25,000, which was 2,000 fewer than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 122,000 at the end of November, which was 9,000 fewer than in November of the previous year. Altogether, 4.7 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 43,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 2,000 higher than in last year's November. During this November, 33,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 more than in last year's November.

Changes 2014/11–2015/11 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2014/11 2015/11 2014/11 - 2015/11
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 327 342 4,8
– unemployed over a year 94 114 21,1
Services, total 131 122 –6,7
– employed 36 20 –45,6
– in labour market training, in training 30 26 –11,5
– engaged in work/training trials 13 15 16,1
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 52 61 17,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 32 33 3,0
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.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi

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 employment 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://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

Job vacancies

Latest data on open job vacancies published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat


Source: Labour force survey 2015, November. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

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Quality descriptions

Updated 22.12.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. November 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 3.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/11/tyti_2015_11_2015-12-22_tie_001_en.html