Employment service statistics: documentation of statistics

The Employment Service Statistics describe those registered with Employment authorities as unemployed jobseekers, job vacancies posted to Employment authorities and people participating in services provided by the Employment authorities on a monthly basis.

The statistical units used in the Employment Service Statistics are ‘person’ and ‘vacancy’.

The Employment Service Statistics describe those registered with Employment authorities as unemployed jobseekers, job vacancies posted to Employment authorities and people participating in services provided.

The reference area of the Employment Service Statistics covers all of Finland. Data can be produced with regional divisions into regions, sub-regional units, municipalities, labour market areas, Employment authorities, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).

Coherent time series according to national definitions are available as of 1991 and online as of 2006. Furthermore, data is available on microfiches from the National Archives from 1981 onwards.

The units of measure used in the Employment Service Statistics include the number of people, the number of vacancies, and the number of weeks, days and periods.

As a general rule, the Employment Service Statistics use the cross-sectional data from the last working day of a month, i.e. the calculation date, or the cumulative total of the statistical period per month or four-month period such as January–August, or for the whole year.

Quarterly and annual averages are based on average monthly results, which means that they describe the situation in an ‘average’ month of the statistical months in question.

The classifications used in the Employment Service Statistics include the Standard Industrial Classification 2008 (TOL 2008, NACE Rev. 2), the Classification of Occupations 2014 (ISCO, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) and the Standard Classification of Education, as well as regional classifications covering municipalities, sub-regional units, regions, labour market areas, TE Offices and Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.

Further information: Statistical legislation

Compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act (280/2004) as the general act governing central government statistical services and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999)

Employment Service Statistics data is submitted annually to Statistics Finland for its research services and in part for use in its employment statistics, while certain data is provided for use in its Labour Market Survey on a monthly basis.

The Employment Service Statistics data is based on data from the client register of Employment authorities. In other words, the data required for the Statistics is generated as part of the client service processes of Employment authorities. In recent years, the costs of producing the Employment Service Statistics have amounted to EUR 550,000–650,000, including both internal staff expenditure and outsourced ICT services.

The Employment Service Statistics are based on data from the client register of Employment authorities. In addition, Statistics Finland provides municipal figures on the labour force from the employment statistics for the purpose of calculating the proportion of unemployed jobseekers in relation to the total workforce.

New and changed data is obtained from the Employment authority's client register on a monthly basis.

New and changed data about jobseekers, services and vacancies is transferred on a monthly basis from the replicated statistics database of the Employment authorities’s individual-level client service system to the Employment Service Statistics system’s individual databases, from which the actual statistical tables are created through ETL runs according to certain classifiers and variables. The overview statistics for a single month include people who meet certain conditions and are in the register on the last weekday of the month in question as well as job vacancies. The monthly review statistics cover all vacancies and individuals that meet the definitions of the table in question during that month, such as unemployed jobseekers. The statistics for a period longer than one month (four-monthly, semiannual and annual statistics) generally include all people or vacancies that meet the conditions for that period, with the exception of separately calculated annual averages, which are based on the average of monthly data.

The data as well as the final statistics are checked as part of the production and reporting processes. The data is checked for the first time before its submission from the client service system. The production system includes checks for allowed values for and logical consistency of the data. The quality of statistical data due for release is verified by means such as comparison with data in the Employment authority's client service system and with statistical data for the corresponding period in the previous year.

In addition to the original series, the Employment Service Statistics also provide so-called trends stripped of annually repeated seasonal variations as well as uneven random variations. The direction of long-term developments and cyclical variations are easier to see from a trend than from unadjusted monthly data.

The trend components of the time series are calculated with the TRAMO/SEATS method recommended by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, using the Demetra+ software. Due to the method used, the last figures of the trend change slightly when the data of the following month is inserted into the time series. When using seasonally adjusted series and trend series, it is advisable to bear in mind that the TRAMO/SEATS method bases the latest months partially on model-based forecasts, which means that particular caution is required when drawing conclusions from these.

The monthly, four-monthly, semiannual and annual statistics of the Employment Service Statistics outline seasonal and cyclical variations in the labour market. The Employment Service Statistics time series describe long-term changes in the labour market. Annual averages describe jobseekers, people participating in services provided by the Employment Authority, as well as job vacancies broken down by occupation, education, age, gender and region, for example.

The primary purpose of the Employment Service Statistics is to serve as a monitoring and measurement tool for employment and economic development activity, which provides data used to develop the amount of services needed by client groups. The Employment Service Statistics data is also used more widely in support of making decisions, preparing labour market policy forecasts and plans, and monitoring the employment effects of various measures. Key users of the results include the employment and economic development administration, ministries, bodies responsible for regional planning, employer and employee organisations, universities and research institutes, international organisations and the European Union.

Feedback from public users is collected and analysed as a continuous process. Furthermore, user satisfaction within the TE administration is gauged annually by means of a separate survey.

Overall accuracy

The Employment Service Statistics are entirely based on register data, which is transferred monthly from the Employment authorities' client service system. This means that all of the data in the Statistics is register-based and completely dependent on the entries in the client service system, which is intended for registration of a broad range of clients and various Employment authorities' services. In other words, producing data for the statistics system is not its primary purpose. Sometimes data entered in register is updated after the statistical period has ended, which means that the timing of extracting individual statistics from the statistics system can be important. By way of example, annual statistics are recreated after the end of the statistical period in order to ensure that the data for the statistical year in question is as comprehensive and complete as possible.

In order to ensure the correctness of the data in the statistics system, the statistical data is spot-checked before its release, making it possible to correct any errors in the statistical tables prior to release. In addition, consistency between the statistics system and the client service system and variables is ensured through cooperation between the experts responsible for the statistics, the register and the substance issues in question.

As the Employment Service Statistics are based on register data, some (1%–5%) errors may occur due to client data being out of date in the client register. Jobseeker groups may include individuals who are no longer searching for work because they have already found employment or started studying, for example. Unless such individuals inform the Employment authority of the change in their status, this information will not be reflected in the Employment Service Statistics either. Such cases are corrected within no more than a few months, when these individuals fail to contact the Employment authority as agreed and their unnecessary job search is closed, for example.

Potential errors that may occur in statistical releases include erroneous figures or concepts in release texts, charts or tables. Unlike data revisions, errors are unexpected deviations from normal statistical production.

Errors are corrected and users are informed of these as quickly as possible. KEHA Centre communicates about any significant errors to the same extent and using the same channels as for actual releases.

Any corrected statistical releases are supplemented with an indication of the correction and the date of correction. If possible, the original, erroneous data is also left in place.

Any typing and other such formal errors are corrected as swiftly and flexibly as possible and these are not specifically indicated on the website.

Any changes made to statistics databases are communicated on the web page entitled ‘Changes in the database’. Statistics databases will only maintain the most recent data.

Any deviations from the schedule are also considered error situations. Should the release of statistical data be delayed significantly from the specified date, the delay will be announced on the website of the KEHA Centre.

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.

The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.

The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Further information: European Statistics Code of Practice | Statistics Finland and Recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland | Statistics Finland

The quality of the Employment Service Statistics is assessed at several different stages of the statistical process.

The Employment Service Statistics may contain deviations or errors due to several stages of the statistical process. There may either have been an error in statistical production or the data received from the client register may have contained errors. In such cases, the aim is to identify the error source as soon as possible and to produce corrected statistical data. Users are informed of any corrections on the Employment Service Statistics subsite and, depending on the situation, also in a news release issued by the KEHA Centre. Information on revisions is available on the Statistics subsite at: https://tyomarkkinatori.fi/en/employment-and-statistics/statistics-and-reports/employment-service-statistic s

Employment Service Statistics data is released on a monthly, four-monthly, semiannual and annual basis. Monthly data is released within approximately three weeks of the end of each statistical month. Four-monthly data is released at the same time with the data from the last month of a four-month period. The most detailed and comprehensive statistical data is released in semiannual statistics along with June data and in annual statistics within approximately two months of the end of the statistical year.

There are no time lags between the release calendar and actual release date.

The Employment Service Statistics data is comparable across Finnish regions.

The register-based Employment Service Statistics are not comparable with statistics based on corresponding registers from other countries due to different national legislations, procedures and definitions. However, the European Commission also collects and publishes registered unemployment figures from EU Member States on an annual basis in its Labour Market Policy (LMP) database as reference data, both on its website and in the publications of the database.

Data comparable to the Employment Service Statistics has been collected since 1907. During this time, the data content, collection practices and methods have been developed on several occasions. Comparable data is available on the most essential data as of 1991.

The Statistics were initially fairly limited, only covering total numbers of jobseekers and vacancies. The data content has expanded over decades as a result of a considerable increase in both classifiers and statistical items.

In addition to the Employment Service Statistics, Statistics Finland’s statistics relating to the labour market include the Labour Market Survey, the Job Vacancy Survey, the Quality of Work Life Survey, statistics on labour disputes, occupational accidents statistics, and employment statistics. Statistics Finland’s Labour Market Survey is a sample-based statistical survey, which complies with internationally agreed practices and definitions. Consequently, the contents of these statistics are not comparable in terms of unemployment. The total workforce on the labour market, the number of employed people and the employment rate are only available in the Labour Force Survey. The differences between the Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey are described in the following report: Comparison between the unemployment statistics of Statistics Finland and the KEHA Centre, available online at: https://stat.fi/en/statistics/documentation/tyti.

Statistics Finland’s Job Vacancy Survey produces sample-based statistics on a quarterly basis. Statistics Finland’s statistics on job vacancies include jobs which employers have aimed to fill from outside the workplace, regardless of the recruitment channel. In other words, the data also covers jobs for which employees have only been recruited through private employment services or direct personal contacts, for example. However, even the statistics on job vacancies do not include all jobs, since jobs in certain sectors or workplaces with no employed personnel are excluded from the statistics. The differences between the method of presenting job vacancies in the Employment Service Statistics and Statistics Finland’s statistics on job vacancies are described in more detail in the following report (in Finnish): Tilastokeskuksen ja KEHA-keskuksen tilastojen vertailu [Comparison between the statistics of Statistics Finland and the KEHA Centre], available online at: https://stat.fi/en/statistics/documentation/atp.

Statistics Finland’s register-based employment statistics (RES) are based on total data derived from the register data of different authorities. RES data on a person’s activities mainly describes the last week of the year. As RES data on unemployment is based on the KEHA Centre’s register of jobseekers, it is consistent with Employment Service Statistics data. The statistics take a good 18 months to complete; preliminary data is ready within about a year. The concepts of the employment statistics based on administrative registers are not internationally comparable.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and the Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA) publish statistics on payments of unemployment-related benefits. The Kela and FIN-FSA data takes the payment of benefits into account in terms of how many people receive benefits, how much of each benefit is paid and on what grounds.

The concepts and definitions used in the Employment Service Statistics are not consistent with national accounts.

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland

The release calendar for the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment provides advance information on all of the statistics scheduled for release over the year. The statistics are published online at 8 am, unless otherwise indicated. The calendar is updated on working days. The release dates for the Employment Service Statistics for the following year are published every December. The statistics release calendar includes information on upcoming release dates.

The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics

Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data. The terms of use for statistical data.

The most important monthly data is released on the specified dates on the Employment Service Statistics subsite at https://tyomarkkinatori.fi/en/employment-and-statistics/statistics-and-reports/employment-service-statistics

The released data is final. Monthly data is released within approximately three weeks of the end of each statistical month. Quarterly and annual averages are released at the same time with the data from the last month of each quarter. Four-monthly data is released at the same time with the data from the last month of each four-month period. Semiannual statistics are released at the same time with the data from June and annual statistics are released at the same time with the data from January.

The release is published monthly/annually/quarterly on the home page of the statistics. (linkki tilaston omille sivuille)

The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.

The data collected for statistical purposes is to be kept secret under section 24 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999). The data set is only used for statistical purposes. The data is protected in keeping with the data protection regulations issued by the KEHA Centre and Statistics Finland and statistical tables do not indicate any information about individual people or employers.

Under section 13 of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the KEA Centre may disclose data on the basis of a specific licence decision for the purposes of scientific research and statistical analysis in a format that does not allow direct identification. The Statistics Act prohibits the use of any data collected for statistical purposes as part of investigations, supervision, legal proceedings, administrative decision-making, or for consideration of a matter concerning a business enterprise.

The quality descriptions of the Employment Service Statistics are available on the statistics subsite.

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Finnish Data Protection Act are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

Data from the Employment Service Statistics is not disclosed in an identifiable format to any party outside the employment and economic development administration (Statistics Act 280/2004, Data Protection Act 1050/2018). Data may only be disclosed without identifiers and on the basis of a specific licence decision for the purposes of scientific research and statistical analyses.