Large regional differences in employment rate among persons aged 55 to 64 in 2018

According to Statistics Finland's employment statistics, the employment rate for the population aged 55 to 64 was 63 per cent in 2018. The employment rate has grown among the age group throughout the 2000s. The employment rate among persons aged between 55 to 64 varied much by area. The employment rates were highest in the regions of Åland, Ostrobothnia and Uusimaa, and lowest in the regions of North Karelia, Kainuu and Kymenlaakso.

Main type of activity of persons aged 55 to 64 in 2000 to 2018

At the end of 2018, there were 730,800 persons aged 55 to 64 in Finland, of whom 460,700 (63%) were employed persons. The employment rate, or the ratio of employed persons to the same-age population, has grown throughout the 2000s, except for a downswing of one percentage point in 2009 to 2010.

In 2018, there were 242,500 employed persons aged 55 to 64 and the age group’s employment rate was 43 per cent. The employment rate rose over the decade by 11 percentage points. The size of the age group grew until 2010 and has after that diminished slowly. In contrast, the number of employed persons increased until 2011, remained almost unchanged in 2011 to 2016, and grew again in 2017 to 2018.

After 2010, the number of pensioners in the age group has decreased yearly. In the 2005 pension reform the unemployment pension was discontinued for those born after 1949 and it was replaced by additional days in the unemployment security system, so that in 2014 there were no longer any recipients of unemployment pension. The number of unemployed persons aged 55 to 64 was bigger than before in 2013 to 2016, but it went down again in 2017 to 2018 so that there were 65,000 unemployed persons in 2018.

Employment rates higher in the south and west

The variation of the employment rate is large by municipality: at its lowest the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was 45 per cent (Kaavi) and at its highest 86 per cent (Lumparland) in 2018.

Among the ten biggest municipalities of Finland, the country’s average employment rate for persons aged 55 to 64 (63%) was exceeded in Espoo (71%), Vantaa (68%) and Helsinki (66%).

Employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 by municipality in 2018, %

Examined by region, the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was highest in Åland (78%), Ostrobothnia (69%) and Uusimaa (68%). The lowest employment rates were found in the regions of North Karelia (56%), Kainuu (57%) and Kymenlaakso (58%).

On the level of the whole country, the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was nine percentage points lower than that of persons aged 18 to 64 (72%). In some municipalities the employment rate of persons aged 55 to 64 was nearly 17 per cent lower (Vieremä, Laihia), in some at about the same level (Kauniainen) and in one municipality even higher (Geta) than that of persons aged 18 to 64 in the municipality.

Source: Employment Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Elina Pelkonen 029 551 3011, info@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 17.04.2020

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Employment [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-6825. profession and socio economic position 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 6.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyokay/2018/01/tyokay_2018_01_2020-04-17_tie_001_en.html