Vacancies increased in the processing and service industries
The number of vacancies increased by about 20 000 in both the processing and service industries in the year to February, the revised Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland indicates. The total number of people in work amounted to 2 094 000 in February, which is a good 40 000 more than a year ago.
The number of jobs for men increased over the year while those for women remained at the level of the year before. Seasonally adjusted employment improved from January to February.
Unemployment stood at 394 000 in February, which is 22 000 less than in February of the year before. Men accounted for over 201 000 of the unemployed and women for 192 000. The seasonally adjusted unemployment figure fell from January to February.
The unemployment rate fell by 1.1 percentage points to 15.8 per cent over the year. The unemployment rate of men fell to 15.4 per cent, while that of women rose to 16.3 per cent. There were 63 000 unemployed young people in February.
The rate of unemployment was still highest in construction, at 28.8 per cent, showing a clear downward trend though.
Changes in the labour force 2/1996-2/1997, 1 000
persons 
Impact of the revision on comparability
The Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland has been revised as of the beginning of 1997 to better correspond to the concepts and definitions used by the European Union and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Owing to the revision of the Labour Force Survey comparisons made in 1997 on the year before will be less reliable than normally. An estimate was made on the impact that the revision had on the figures for February 1996 and the figures presented here were adjusted accordingly.
The revision was based on the results of the parallel survey conducted between March-December 1996. The sample in the survey was, however, fairly small and did not cover the whole year, so the revisions are crude. The comparability of the survey will reach the customary level in January 1998, when data for the revised survey will have been collected for a whole year.
Since the Labour Force Survey is a sample survey, random variation has to be taken into account when assessing the changes. The confidence interval of the February unemployment rate is ± 0.5 percentage points.
The data for the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland were collected by interviewing some 12 000 Finnish residents of working age. The data are from between February 10 and 16. The Labour Force Survey is a panel survey where over a period of 18 months each person is included five times in the sample.
The Labour Force Survey produces data both on employment and unemployment. It is based on the international recommendations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the European Union and the survey is comparable to statistics produced by other countries.
438 000 unemployed job seekers in February
The Ministry of Labour also publishes statistics on unemployment. The data are on unemployed job seekers on the last working day of each month. Owing to differences in methods and definitions, the unemployment figures issued by Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Labour are not fully comparable. The trend in the changes is generally in the same direction, with the figures of the Ministry of Labour being higher by some thousands. At the end of February 438 000 unemployed persons were registered in the job applicants register of the Ministry of Labour.
Source: Labour Force Survey, February 1997. Statistics
Finland
Inquiries: Ms Salme Kiiski, tel. +358 9 1734 3230 and
Mr Timo Koskimäki, tel. +358 9 1734 3517.