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Employment and unemployment in May 2007

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in May was 2,499,000, or 60,000 higher than a year earlier. Employment increased most in the private sector. There were 62,000 more wage and salary earners than twelve months earlier, whereas the number of self-employed persons was almost unchanged. There were 52,000 more wage and salary earners in continuing full-time employment. The number of employed persons went up in all provinces except Eastern Finland where it remained unchanged.

In May, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 70.2 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points higher than one year before. The employment rate of men was 72.0 per cent and that of women 68.3 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 70.1 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 232,000 unemployed in May 2007, i.e. 43,000 fewer than in May of the year before. At 8.5 per cent the unemployment rate was 1.6 percentage points lower than one year before. The trend of the unemployment rate was 6.3 per cent in May. The rate of unemployment was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, i.e. 6.9 per cent, and highest in the Province of Lapland, at 13.8 per cent. In May 2007, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 27.0 per cent, which was 6.5 percentage points lower than in the previous year’s May. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 15.0 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, the average number of employed persons in the January to May 2007 period was 2,440,000, which is 47,000 more than over the corresponding period of the year before. The average number of unemployed persons was 204,000, or 28,000 fewer than in the January to May period of 2006.

Source: Labour force survey 2007, May. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Pekka Tossavainen (09) 1734 3517, Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, Heidi Melasniemi-Uutela (09) 1734 2523, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 19.6.2007