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Published: 25 August 2009

Unemployment rate in July 2,5 percentage points higher than one year previously

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in July 2009 was 2 523 000, or 100 000 lower than a year earlier. The number of wage and salary earners decreased, whereas that of self-employed persons stayed unchanged. The number of employed persons decreased in all provinces but relatively by most in Western Finland, where the number of employed persons was 57 000 lower than one year previously.

In July 2009, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 70,3 per cent, which was 3,2 percentage points lower than one year earlier. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate fell to 67,7 per cent. From last year’s July, men’s employment rate fell by 3,6 percentage points to 71,9 per cent and women’s by 2,7 percentage points to 68,6 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 211 000 unemployed in July 2009, which was 67 000 more than in July of the year before. The number of unemployed men grew by 43 000 and that of unemployed women by 24 000. The comparison figure, that is, the July 2008 estimate for unemployed persons, was the lowest for 17 years.

At 7,7 per cent, the unemployment rate was 2,5 percentage points higher in July than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate rose to 8,9 per cent in July. The unemployment rate for men rose by 3,1 percentage points to 7,6 per cent, and that for women by 1,9 percentage points to 7,9 per cent. This July, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 15,0 per cent, which was 5,2 percentage points higher than in July of the previous year. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people rose to 21,8 per cent. The rate of unemployment was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, where it stood at 6,2 per cent, and highest in the Province of Lapland, 12,0 per cent.

Changes in the labour force 2009/07 – 2008/07 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey

  Year/Month Change
2009/07 2008/07 2009/07 - 2008/07
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Population aged 15-74 4 026 4 006 0,5
Labour force, total 2 733 2 766 –1,2
Employed, total 2 523 2 622 –3,8
– employees 2 209 2 308 –4,3
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 313 314 –0,2
Unemployed persons 211 144 46,4
Total persons not in labour force 1 293 1 239 4,3
  Per cent (%) Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), % 70,3 73,4 –3,2
Unemployment rate, % 7,7 5,2 2,5
Labour force participation rate, % 67,9 69,1 –1,2
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

In July, there were 1 293 000 persons of working age not in the labour force , which was 53 000 more than one year earlier. Of the persons not in the labour force, 97 000 were in disguised unemployment; their number grew by 16 000 from last year. Persons who would like gainful work and would be available for work within a fortnight, but who have not looked for work in the past four weeks are counted as persons in disguised unemployment in the Labour Force Survey.

The total number of students in the labour force was 350 000 in July, which was 45 000 lower than one year ago. The number of employed students decreased by 49 000 and stood at 317 000. Of the unemployed persons, 33 000 were students, which was 4 000 more than one year ago. The number of students outside the labour force was 242 000; which was 32 000 higher than twelve months back. The Labour Force Survey classifies as a student a person who reports that he/she is studying towards a qualification in a comprehensive school, upper secondary school, vocational institution, polytechnic or university. The definition is independent of a person’s labour force status. In the statistics, a student can be classified as an employed or unemployed person or as a person outside the labour force. According to the Labour Force Survey, the total number of persons attending education leading to a qualification was 592 000 in July.

Changes in the employment of students 2009/07 – 2008/07 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey

  Year/Month
2009/07 2008/07
1000 persons
Students in education leading to a qualification according to the Labour Force Survey 592 605
Students in labour force 350 395
Employed students 317 366
Unemployed students 33 29
Students not in labour force 242 210

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of July 2009, there were altogether 290 000 persons registered, in accordance with the Unemployment Security Act and the Employment Office Regulations, as job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 70 000 higher than in July 2008. Unemployment grew from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres. The number of unemployed job seekers increased most in Pirkanmaa (42%), South Ostrobothnia (41%), Uusimaa (39%) and Varsinais-Suomi (39%). At the end of July, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 29 000, which was 21 000 more than twelve months earlier. The total number of persons covered by labour market policy measures was 68 000 at the end of July, which was 2 000 fewer than in July of the year before. Altogether 2,5 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures. There were 43 000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 16 000 higher than in July of the year before. During this July, 25 000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 10 000 fewer than in July 2008.

Changes 2009/07 – 2008/07 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2009/07 2008/07 2009/07 - 2008/07
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Unemployed job seekers 290 221 31,6
– unemployed over a year 41 44 –7,4
Total measures 68 71 –3,3
– employed with subsidised measures 33 35 –7,7
– in labour market training 21 20 6,5
– in trainee and job alternation places 15 16 –6,2
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 25 35 –28,9
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +359 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Press release concerning recording of students in the Labour Force Survey statistics (in Finnish and Swedish only): http://tilastokeskus.fi/ajk/tiedotteet/2009/tiedote_008_2009-07-31.html

Methodological description concerning laid off persons (in Finnish only):
http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tyti_2009-04-28_men_006.html

Differences between the Labour Force Survey and the Employment Service Statistics are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey.

About seasonally adjusted trend (in Finnish only): http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tyti_2007-06-19_men_003.html

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU  can be found under the theme of Population and social conditions on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.

Job vacancy survey: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/atp/index_en.html


Source: Labour force survey 2009, July. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, Veli Rajaniemi (09) 1734 3434, Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 25.08.2009

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. July 2009. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 16.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2009/07/tyti_2009_07_2009-08-25_tie_001_en.html