In 2014, 78 per cent of unemployed persons aged over 60 had also been unemployed one year ago

Of the persons who were unemployed at the end of 2014, 51.2 per cent had been unemployed one year earlier. Unemployment repeated itself or continued in particular for persons aged 60 or over, 78.4 per cent of whom had also been unemployed the year before. According to the employment statistics, around 360,000 persons aged 18 to 64 were unemployed at the end of 2014. The data on unemployment in the employment statistics are based on the data of the Register of Job Seekers of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

Number of unemployed persons in 2000 to 2014 and the share of persons who were unemployed in the previous year, %

In 2013 to 2014, the number of unemployed persons grew by good 34,000 (10.5%) according to the employment statistics. Over the same period, the share of persons who had been unemployed in two consecutive years of all unemployed persons increased to 51.2 per cent. 29.8 per cent of the persons who were unemployed in 2014 had been employed in the previous year and 9.5 per cent had been students. There were 9.4 per cent who belonged to other groups. The share of persons who have been unemployed in two consecutive years of all unemployed persons has been at its highest in the 2000s in 2000 when it was 58.5 per cent. The share was at its lowest in 2009, when 41.0 per cent of unemployed persons had also been unemployed in the year before.

An increasing share of unemployed persons were aged 60 or over. In 2000, the share of unemployed persons aged over 60 was 3.7 per cent, while in 2014 their respective share was 12.5 per cent. No unemployment pensions intended for ageing unemployed persons have been granted after 2011. Unemployment is repeated or continues for ageing persons more than for others. The following figure shows the share of persons among all unemployed who have been unemployed in two consecutive years in 2000, 2009 and 2014 by age. In 2014, nearly four out of five unemployed persons aged 60 or over had also been unemployed in the previous year. The share is clearly lowest among those aged under 25 regardless of the examined year.

Share of persons who had been unemployed in the previous year of all unemployed persons by age in 2000, 2009 and 2014, %

Examined by sex, 53.7 per cent of men who were unemployed in 2014 had been unemployed also in 2013, while the share was 47.8 per cent for women. Examined by age group, among those aged 60 or over, a larger share of women than men had also been unemployed in 2013 (Appendix Table 1).

There were large regional differences in the repeatability and continuation of unemployment: In Åland, only 38.9 per cent of unemployed persons had been unemployed in the previous year as well (whole country: 51.2%). The share was highest in Lapland at 56.6 per cent. When examining persons, who have been unemployed in every year over a five year period, the share of the unemployed in 2014 was highest in Central Finland (10.6%) and lowest in Åland (4.6%). Regional data can be found in Appendix Table 2.

Source: Employment Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Aura Pasila 029 551 3576, tyossakaynti@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 29.5.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Employment [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-6825. Main type of activity and status in occupation 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 6.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyokay/2014/02/tyokay_2014_02_2015-05-29_tie_001_en.html