Press releases 1999
31 December, 1999
Output growth slowed down in October
The volume of total output was 1.9 per cent greater in October 1999 than in October 1998. The rate of output growth slowed down from September when output increased by 4 per cent from a year earlier. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland indicates that, except for agriculture and forestry, output went up in all main industries of the national economy.
23 December 1999
GDP up by 2.8 per cent in the third quarter of 1999
In the third quarter of 1999, the volume of Finland's gross domestic product grew by 2.8 per cent from a year earlier. It has shown uninterrupted growth since the latter part of 1993. In the first half of 1999, gross domestic product, i.e. output of goods and services, increased by 3.4 per cent. This is indicated by the preliminary data on National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland.
17 December, 1999
Import prices up by close on 9 per cent in the year
According to Statistics Finland, import prices rose by 8.7 per cent in the year to November. This was particularly due to increases in the world market price of crude oil, but also to higher prices of oil products and colour metals. Import prices last rose this fast in 1993. From 1995, import prices have gone up by 2.5 per cent.
17 December 1999
Employment and unemployment in November 1999
- 78,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate 65.5 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 9.4 per cent, 237,000 unemployed
- 17,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 December, 1999
Industrial output grew by 2.3 per cent in October
According to Statistics Finland, Finnish industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 2.3 per cent in the year to October. In September, the corresponding figure stood at 5.4 per cent. In the wood and paper industry, output continued its strong growth and went up by good 9 per cent in October. In the chemical industry, output went up by a similar amount. In contrast, output in the electronics industry fell by good 6 per cent. The drop was partly attributable to the industry's exceptionally large volume of output during the comparison period of October 1998.
15 December, 1999
Inflation quickened in November
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change in consumer prices, i.e. inflation, was 1.6 per cent in November. The rate of inflation quickened, for in October it stood at 1.3 per cent. Increases in the prices of petrol and light fuel oil and higher rents and dwelling prices continued to uphold inflation.
9 December 1999
Consumer Survey: Consumers tempted to buy consumer durables
In November, Finnish consumers' intentions to purchase various consumer durables were at their strongest in this decade. Every third household was thinking of buying entertainment electronics, such as a computer or mobile phone in the next six months. Every fourth household was planning to purchase household appliances. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,580 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 22 and 29 November.
8 December, 1999
Research and development expenditure grew by 13 per cent last year
A total of FIM 19.9 billion was spent on research and development in Finland in 1998. In real terms, this represents a growth of 13 per cent from 1997. The growth will also continue this year, when estimates put R&D expenditure at FIM 22.3 billion. The data derive from Statistics Finland's publication Tutkimus- ja kehittämistoiminta in Finland 1998 (Research and Development in Finland 1998).
30 November, 1999
Growth of output 4.4 per cent in September
The volume of total output was 4.4 per cent greater this September than in September 1998. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland indicates that, except for agriculture and forestry, output went up in all main industries of the national economy.
18 November, 1999
Import prices up by 6 per cent in the year
According to Statistics Finland, import prices rose by six per cent in the year to October. This was primarily due to higher world market price of crude oil, but also to increases in the prices of oil products and colour metals. In January this year, import prices still fell by almost seven per cent on the annual level. From September to October, import prices went up by 0.1 per cent. This increase was caused by higher prices of oil products and basic chemicals.
16 November, 1999
Employment and unemployment in October 1999
- 47,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate 65.1 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 9.5 per cent, 237,000 unemployed
- 15,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 November, 1999
Industrial output up by 5.2 per cent in September
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 5.2 per cent in the year to September. In August, the corresponding figure stood at 2 per cent. The growth was mainly boosted by the paper industry, where output went up by 8 per cent in September, after good twelve months of weak development. In the twelve months to September, output in the chemical industry increased by 6.5 per cent and in the electronics industry by just under 10 per cent.
15 November, 1999
Higher petrol prices continue to uphold inflation
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change of consumer prices, i.e. inflation, was 1.3 per cent in October. The rate of inflation quickened, for in September the rate was 1.1 per cent. Inflation was upheld by petrol and light fuel oil price increases and higher rents and dwelling prices.
4 November 1999
Consumer Survey: Consumer confidence in the economy stronger
Finnish consumers continued to believe in the positive development of the economy. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 15.4 in October, that is, higher than in September and one year ago. Confidence both in their own and in Finland's economy has become stronger. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,660 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 18 and 25 October.
29 October, 1999
Output continued to grow in August
The volume of total output grew by 2.8 per cent in the year to August. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland indicates that output grew in all main industries of the national economy.
19 October, 1999
Employment and unemployment in September 1999
- 74,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate 65.9 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 9.1 per cent, 230,000 unemployed
- 18,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
18 October, 1999
Producer prices up by 1.5 per cent in September
According to Statistics Finland, import prices rose by 1.5 per cent from August to September. The rise in import prices was caused by higher world market prices of crude oil, oil products and colour metals.
15 October,1999
Industrial output up by 2.1 per cent in August
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 2.1 per cent in the year to August. In July, the corresponding figure stood at 4 per cent. This modest growth is partly explained by the fact that summer holidays were taken at different times than last year. This was visible in the electrical industry, where output was nearly 10 per cent higher in August than a year earlier, while the growth had been almost 19 per cent in July. Due to the favourable weather, the strong growth of output in mining and quarrying continued further. The manufacture of foodstuffs and beverages increased by 3.3 per cent.
15 October, 1999
Inflation unchanged in September
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change of consumer prices, i.e. inflation, was 1.1 per cent in September. Inflation was the same as in August.
12 October, 1999
Internet version of Finnish education statistics into international distribution
Statistics Finland has produced an electronic version of the English compilation Education in Finland 1999, Statistics and Indicators. The network version is available free of charge at the Internet address www.stat.fi/edufinland. The printed version of the publication was issued at the beginning of June.
7 October 1999
Finnish consumers consider the time favourable for consumption
In September, 48 per cent of consumers thought the time was favourable for buying various consumer durables. Self-employed persons were most favourably disposed towards consumption. Men considered the time was more favourable than women did. On the other hand, consumers expected that the year-on-year change of consumer prices would be 2.0 per cent in September 2000, which means that the rate of inflation would accelerate slightly. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,650 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 20 and 27 September.
30 September, 1999
Growth of output continued in July
The volume of total output grew by 2.6 per cent in the year to July. In June, total output was up by 3.6 per cent from the year before. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland indicates that output grew in all main industries of the national economy in July, except for agriculture and forestry.
28 September 1999
GDP up by 3.4 per cent in the second quarter of 1999
In the second quarter of 1999, the volume of Finland's gross domestic product grew by 3.4 per cent compared to the same period last year. Of the growth, 1.7 percentage points came from the metal industry. In the first quarter of 1999 the gross domestic product was also up by 3.4 per cent. Over the early part of the year, the nominal national income increased by 6.4 per cent. This is indicated by the preliminary data on National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland.
17 September, 1999
Producer prices rose by one per cent in August
According to Statistics Finland, import prices rose by one per cent from July to August. Other producer price indices went up by 0.4 per cent in the same time period. The increase in import prices was caused by higher world market prices of crude oil, oil products and basic metals.
16 September, 1999
Employment and unemployment in August 1999
- 85,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate 67.8 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 9.0 per cent, 233,000 unemployed
- 22,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 September, 1999
Industrial output up by 3.9 per cent in July
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 3.9 per cent in the year to July. In June, the corresponding figure stood at 5.7 per cent. More summer holidays were taken in July this year than the year before. This was also visible in the electrical industry, where output was nearly 19 per cent higher in July than a year earlier, while the growth had been almost 37 per cent in June. Due to the favourable weather, output in mining and quarrying grew by almost 42 per cent. The manufacture of foodstuffs and beverages increased by 5.5 per cent.
15 September, 1999
Inflation slowed down slightly in August
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change in consumer prices, or inflation, was 1.1 per cent in August. In July, inflation stood at 1.2 per cent.
2 September 1999
Consumer confidence in the economy still strong
Finnish consumers continue to believe in the positive development of the economy. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 14.0 in August. After June, consumers' estimates of their own and the country's economy and about the time being favourable for buying consumer durables have deteriorated slightly. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,630 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 16 and 23 August.
31 August, 1999
Growth of output continued in June
Total output increased by 3.5 per cent in the year to June. In May output went up by 2.5 per cent. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output indicates that output grew in all main industries of the national economy in June, except for agriculture and forestry. In the first half of the year, i.e. in the January to June period, output increased by 3.4 per cent from the year before.
18 August, 1999
Rise in producer prices continued through July
According to Statistics Finland, producer price indices rose by 0.9 to 1.2 per cent from June to July. The biggest increase of 1.2 per cent occurred in import prices, due to higher world market prices of crude oil and basic metals.
17 August, 1999
Employment and unemployment in July 1999
- 71,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up in the year by 1.8 percentage points to 69.7
per cent
- Rate of unemployment 8.6 per cent, 227,000 unemployed
- 17,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
16 August, 1999
Inflation up by 1.2 per cent in July
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change of consumer prices, i.e. inflation, was 1.2 per cent in July. The rate of inflation accelerated slightly, since it was 1.1 per cent in June.
16 August, 1999
Industrial output boosted by hot weather in June
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 5.6 per cent in the year to June. In May, output only increased by 2 per cent.
5 August, 1999
Consumer Survey: Households' financial situation good
The financial situation of Finnish households has improved gradually. In July 53 per cent of households were able to save money. Four per cent of households had to draw on their savings and only two per cent ran into debt. Sixty-five per cent of households believed they could save money during the next 12 months. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,610 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 19 and 26 July.
30 July, 1999
Growth in output continued through May
Total output increased by 2.4 per cent in the year to May. In April, output increased by 3.6 per cent. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output grew in all main industries of the national economy in May.
19 July, 1999
With the exception of export prices, producer prices have been rising throughout the first half of the year.
16 July, 1999
Employment and unemployment in June 1999
- 73,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up in the year by 1.8 percentage points to 70.1
per cent
- Rate of unemployment 10.3 per cent, 280,000 unemployed
- 24,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 July, 1999
Consumer prices up by 1.1 per cent in June
According to Statistics Finland, the year-on-year change of consumer prices, i.e. the inflation, was 1.1 per cent in June. The rate of inflation slowed down slightly, as it was 1.4 per cent in May.
15 July, 1999
Growth of industrial output slowed down in May
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated by working day grew by 1.9 per cent in the year to May. In April, output was still up by 7.7 per cent.
8 July, 1999
Consumer Survey: Consumer confidence in the economy strong
Finnish consumers' confidence in favourable economic development continued even stronger in June. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 16.7 in June. Since the end of last decade, confidence in the economy has been as high only in April 1997 and July 1998. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,580 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 21 and 28 June.
1 July, 1999
Information technology products account for over 20 per cent of all goods exports
In September 1998, two out of three Finns aged between 15 and 74 had the opportunity to use a PC at work, school or home, and as many as 42 per cent were able to use the Internet. At the beginning of 1999, more than one Finn in two had a mobile telephone. In autumn 1997, two out of three Finnish employees used a computer in their work. The information is derived from Statistics Finland's fresh publication entitled On the Road to the Finnish Information Society II.
29 June, 1999
GDP up by 2.7 per cent in the first quarter of 1999
From the first quarter of 1998 to the first quarter of 1999, Finland's gross domestic product grew by 2.7 per cent. Of the total growth, 2.0 percentage points came from the metal industry. This is indicated by the preliminary data on National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland.
18 June, 1999
Producer prices for manufactured goods rose by 0.4 per cent in May
According to Statistics Finland, producer prices for manufactured goods, or producer prices for goods intended for the domestic market, rose by 0.4 per cent from April to May. The rise was due to higher prices of pulp and colour metals.
17 June, 1999
Nearly 12,000 cultural enterprises
In 1997, cultural enterprises in Finland totalled 11,745, representing 5.5 per cent of all Finnish business enterprises. Both in respect of personnel and turnover, cultural enterprises are, on average, smaller than other business enterprises. In 1997, they had average personnel of 5 and a turnover of FIM 3.5 million. The information is derived from the compilation publication Cultural Statistics 1999, edited by Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Education as a joint project.
16 June, 1999
Employment and unemployment in May 1999
- 64,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up in the year by 1.5 percentage points to 66.3
per cent
- Rate of unemployment 13.3 per cent, 354,000 unemployed
- 28,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 June, 1999
Quickening of inflation continued in May
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices rose by 1.4 per cent in the year to May. The rate of inflation quickened, for in April it stood at 1.1 per cent.
15 June, 1999
Industrial output up by 7.6 per cent in April
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated by working day grew by 7.6 per cent in the year to April. Growth continued to hinge on the electronics industry, where output increased by 61 per cent. Output in the other main industries fell from April 1998.
14 June, 1999
Greens and Coalition fared well in service industry areas
The biggest winners in the Finnish European Parliament election, the Greens and the Coalition Party, increased their support most in areas where services constitute the main industry and which have relatively low numbers of unemployed and pensioners. Of the losers in the election, the Social Democratic Party lost evenly in predominantly manufacturing and service industry areas alike. The Centre Party suffered its biggest losses in service industry areas, but increased its support in agricultural ones.
3 June 1999
Consumer confidence in the economy stronger
Finnish consumers' confidence in favourable economic development continued even stronger in May. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 13.9, i.e. highest since last August. Confidence in the country's economy had grown most. In May, 34 per cent of consumers expected the country's economic situation to improve in the next 12 months, and 50 per cent believed it would remain unchanged. Only 10 per cent thought the country's economy would deteriorate. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,570 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 17 and 24 May.
1 June, 1999
A compendium publication in English about the Finnish educational system
Statistics Finland has published a new compendium entitled Education in Finland 1999. Using international concepts and classifications, the book draws a concise picture of the Finnish educational system.
28 May, 1999
Output continued to grow briskly in March
Total output increased by 3.9 per cent in the year to March. When the effect of seasonal factors is removed, output in March was 0.3 per cent higher than in February. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output went up in all main branches of industry.
19 May, 1999
Employment and unemployment in April 1999
- 100,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up in the year by 2.6 percentage points to 64.9
per cent
- Rate of unemployment 11.5 per cent, 292,000 unemployed
- 27,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
18 May, 1999
Import prices rose by 1.5 per cent in April
According to Statistics Finland, import prices rose by 1.5 per cent from March to April. The rise was due to higher world market prices of crude oil and oil products.
17 May, 1999
Industrial output up by 3.3 per cent in March
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated by working day grew by 3.3 per cent in the year to March. Growth continued to hinge on the electronics industry, where output increased by nearly 42 per cent. In contrast, output in the other main industries fell from March 1998.
14 May 1999
Inflation slightly faster in April
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices rose by 1.1 per cent in the year to April. Inflation accelerated slightly, since it stood at 0.8 per cent in March. From March to April, prices went up by 0.7 per cent.
6 May 1999
Consumer confidence in the economy strong
Finnish consumers continued to believe in favourable economic development in April. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 12.7 in April, i.e. higher than in February to March. Self-employed and unemployed persons had most and agricultural entrepreneurs least confidence in their own economy. Belief in the country's economic growth was strongest among wage and salary earners and weakest among self-employed persons. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,660 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 19 and 26 April.
30 April, 1999
Growth in output continued in February
Total output increased by 3.4 per cent in the year to February. When the effect of seasonal factors is removed, output in February was 0.3 per cent higher than in January. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output went up in all main branches of industry, with the exception of agriculture and forestry.
22 April, 1999
GDP up by 3.9 per cent in the last quarter of 1998
In the last quarter of 1998, Finland's gross domestic product grew by 3.9 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter in 1997. The rate of growth moderated in the second quarter of 1998 and remained steady for the rest of the year. GDP increased by barely seven per cent in the first, four-and-a-half per cent in the second, and nearly four per cent in the third quarter of the year, as indicated by the preliminary data on National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland.
20 April, 1999
Employment and unemployment in March 1999
- 80,000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up in the year by 2.1 percentage points to 63.9
per cent
- Rate of unemployment 10.9 per cent, 271,000 unemployed
- 29,000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
19 April, 1999
Higher oil price put producer price indices up
According to Statistics Finland, producer price indices rose by between 0.2 and 0.8 per cent from February to March. Import prices went up most, by 0.8 per cent. This was mainly due to an increase in the world market price of crude oil, but there were also increases in base metal prices.
15 April, 1999
Industrial output up by 5.1 per cent in February
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day grew by 5.1 per cent in the year to February. In January, industrial output was up by 7.6 per cent on January 1998. The growth continued to be attributable to the electrical industry where output increased by 47 per cent in February. In January, output in the electrical industry grew by 54 per cent compared to the year before.
15 April, 1999
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices rose by 0.8 per cent in the year to March. The rate of inflation was unchanged from February. From February to March, prices went up by 0.2 per cent.
Consumer confidence in the country's economy stronger in March
Finnish consumers' confidence in the continuation of fast economic growth strengthened after a dip in February. In March, 79 per cent of consumers expected that the country's economic situation would remain unchanged or improve during the next 12 months, and only 14 per cent believed it would deteriorate. Almost every second consumer believed that unemployment would decline. The consumer confidence indicator stood at 11.7 in March, i.e. slightly higher than in February. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,720 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 22 and 29 March.
31 March, 1999
Growth in output faster in January
Total output increased by 4.7 per cent in the year to January. Growth accelerated clearly from last year's December, when output grew by 1.7 per cent. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output went up in all main branches of industry, with the exception of agriculture and forestry.
22 March, 1999
Well-paid and highly educated elected in the Parliamentary elections
The MPs elected in the Parliamentary elections clearly differ in their income from the candidates and persons entitled to vote, indicates Statistics Finland's survey on the social background of the candidates. In 1997, the taxable income of the elected was two-fold that of the candidates and 3.5-fold compared to the average income of those entitled to vote.
19 March, 1999
Employment and unemployment in February 1999
- 66 000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up by 1.8 percentage points to 64 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 10.7 per cent, 267 000 unemployed
- 23 000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
18 March, 1999
According to Statistics Finland, import priceswent up by 0.3 per cent from January to February. Prior to this, import prices had fallen uninterruptedly for almost a year, since they went last up in April 1998.
15 March, 1999
Industrial output up by 7.6 per cent in January
According to Statistics Finland, industrial output as calculated per working day went up by 7.6 per cent in the year to January. The growth was attributable to the electrical industry where output increased by 55 per cent in January. Output grew in all main sectors of the electrical industry, but growth of output was most pronounced in the manufacture of communication equipment. If the volume index of industrial output was calculated without the electrical industry, output would have been down by one per cent from the year before.
15 March, 1999
Inflation 0.8 per cent in February
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices rose by 0.8 per cent in the year to February. The rate of inflation quickened, for it had been 0.5 per cent in January. From January to February, prices went up by 0.2 per cent.
11 March, 1999
Consumer confidence in economic
growth weaker -
views on own economy still positive
Finnish consumers' confidence in the continuation of fast economic growth weakened in February. Twenty-five per cent of consumers expected that the country's economic situation would improve during the next 12 months, and 20 per cent believed it would deteriorate. In January, the corresponding figures stood at 31 and 16 per cent. The proportion of those believing that unemployment would decline dropped from 45 to 39 per cent in February. The consumer confidence indicator expressing consumers' views on the economy was 10.3 in February, i.e. 2.7 points lower than in January. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,650 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 22 and 26 February.
26 February, 1999
New calculation method diversifies the description of national economy
The Finnish system of national accounts is undergoing a reform. The revised definitions and delimitations will raise the value of the gross domestic product. The revision will yield a more diversified picture of the domestic product and make the calculations more comparable.
26 February, 1999
Gross domestic product grew by 4.9 per cent in 1998
According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, the volume of GDP grew by 4.9 per cent last year. Households' disposable income increased by 4.4 per cent in real terms. The financial deficit of central government contracted by FIM 15 billion from the previous year.
26 February, 1999
Growth in output slowed down in December
Total output increased by 1.7 per cent in the year to December 1998. Growth slowed down clearly from November, when output grew at the rate of 4.7 per cent. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output went up in all main branches of industry.
18 January, 1999
Export and import prices down by 7 per cent in the year
According to Statistics Finland, both export and import prices went down by 7 per cent from January 1998 to January 1999. The fall in export prices was attributable to lower prices of electrical equipment, raw materials and output commodities. Import prices, in turn, fell because the world market prices of crude oil, oil products and colour metals went clearly down, and the prices of electrical equipment also dropped.
16 February, 1999
Employment and unemployment in January 1999
- 79 000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up by 1.9 per cent to 63.3 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 11.0 per cent, 273 000 unemployed
- 18 000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
15 February, 1999
Growth of industrial output came to a halt in December
According to Statistics Finland, growth of industrial output came to a halt at the end of last year. Industrial output as calculated per working day grew by just 0.1 per cent in the year to December. Growth of output was last this slow in April 1996. December output of pulp, paper and paper products was down by 15 per cent on the previous December, but the manufacture of electrical equipment was up by almost a third on December 1997.
15 February, 1999
Inflation 0.5 per cent in January
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices rose by 0.5 per cent in the year to January. From December to January, prices fell by 0.2 per cent.
2 February, 1999
Strong consumer confidence in economy continues
Finnish consumers' confidence in the continuation of fast economic growth strengthened slightly in January. Forty-nine per cent of consumers expected that the country's economic situation would remain unchanged, while 32 per cent believed that it would improve further this year. Only 15 per cent of consumers expected the country's economy to deteriorate. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1,610 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 18 and 25 January.
29 January, 1999
Output grew by 4.7 per cent in November
Total output increased by 4.7 per cent in the year to November 1998. Growth accelerated slightly from October, when the rate of growth on the previous year was 4.2 per cent. The Monthly Indicator of Total Output of Statistics Finland shows that output went up in all main branches of industry.
19 January, 1999
Employment and unemployment in December 1998
- 44 000 more employed than a year ago
- Employment rate up by 0.9 per cent to 63.9 per cent
- Rate of unemployment 10.2 per cent, 253 000 unemployed
- 13 000 new vacancies at labour exchange offices
18 January, 1999
Both import and export prices down
According to Statistics Finland, import prices went down by 3.5 per cent from 1997 to 1998, when comparing the average prices for the whole year. The year before, the import prices rose by 0.9 per cent. From December 1997 to last year's December, import prices fell by 7.4 per cent and from November to December by 0.9 per cent. The prices of crude oil, in particular, went down both in one month and in the year, and the prices of electrical equipment also in the year.
15 January, 1999
Manufacture of pulp and paper down by 6 per cent in November
The manufacture of pulp, paper and paper products went down by almost 6 per cent in the year to November. According to Statistics Finland, total output as calculated per working day in the wood and paper industry fell by good 4 per cent in November 1998 compared to November 1997.
15 January, 1999
Inflation 0.8 per cent in December
According to Statistics Finland's Consumer Price Index, consumer prices went up by 0.8 per cent in the year to December. Last year's average rate of inflation was 1.4 per cent. From November to December, prices fell by 0.1 per cent.
13 January, 1998
Research and development expenditure FIM 17.3 billion in 1997
A total of approximately FIM 17.3 billion was spent on research and development in Finland in 1997. From 1995 to 1997, the average annual nominal increase was 16 per cent. The growth in the R&D expenditure continued through 1998, when it is estimated to reach FIM 19.7 billion. The data derive from Statistics Finland's publication Tutkimus- ja kehittämistoiminta 1997 (Research and Development in Finland 1997).
12 January, 1999
Consumer confidence in economy stronger in December
Finnish consumers' confidence in a positive trend in their own and in the country's economy became stronger in December. Twenty-seven per cent of consumers expected their own economy to improve this year, while only 8 per cent estimated that it would worsen. A total of 80 per cent of consumers believed that the country's economic situation would either remain unchanged or improve further. 15 per cent of consumers expected the country's economy to deteriorate this year. The data are based on Statistics Finland's Consumer Survey, for which 1 580 persons resident in Finland were interviewed between 14 and 21 December.