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Published: 21 September 2010

Unemployment rate 7.3 per cent in August

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in August was 197,000, which was about 6,000 lower than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.3 per cent, or 0.3 percentage points lower than one year earlier. The number of employed persons was 21,000 higher than in last year's August.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2010/08

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2010/08

In August 2010, the number of employed persons was 2,492,000, which was 21,000 higher than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (± 30,000). The number of employed men grew, while that of employed women was unchanged. The number of employed persons increased most clearly in the areas of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) of Eastern Finland and Northern Finland.

In August, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, was on level with the year before and was 68.8 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 67.8 per cent. The employment rate for men rose by 0.6 percentage points from last year’s August to 69.5 per cent. The employment rate for women fell by 0.4 percentage points to 68.2 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 197,000 unemployed in August 2010, i.e. 6,000 fewer than in August of the year before. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of unemployed persons (± 15,000). The number of unemployed women fell, while that of unemployed men was unchanged.

At 7.3 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.3 percentage points lower in August than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent in August. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent and women’s 6.7 per cent. This August, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 14.5 per cent, which was 3.2 percentage points lower than in August 2009. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people fell to 20.1 per cent. The unemployment rate was lowest in the area of Southern Finland AVI, where it stood at 6.5 per cent, and highest, at 10.4 per cent, in the area of Northern Finland AVI.

The number of 15 to 74-year-olds not in the labour force remained almost unchanged.

Changes in the labour force 2010/08 – 2010/08 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey

  Year/Month Change
2010/08 2009/08 2010/08 - 2009/08
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Population aged 15-74 4 046 4 028 0,4
Labour force, total 2 689 2 674 0,6
Employed, total 2 492 2 471 0,8
– employees 2 152 2 132 0,9
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 341 339 0,5
Unemployed persons 197 203 –2,9
Total persons not in labour force 1 357 1 354 0,2
  Per cent (%) Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), % 68,8 68,7 0,1
Unemployment rate, % 7,3 7,6 –0,3
Labour force participation rate, % 66,5 66,4 0,1
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of July 2010, there were altogether 289,000 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 1,000 lower than in July 2009.

Unemployment grew from the previous year in the areas of four Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). The number of unemployed job seekers increased in Åland (14%), Varsinais-Suomi (8%), Uusimaa (4%) and Häme (1%). Respectively, the number of unemployed job seekers decreased most in North Karelia (-9%), South Ostrobothnia (-7%), Kainuu (-7%) and Lapland (-6%). At the end of July, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 17,000, which was 12,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

At the end of July, the number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 74,000, which was 6,000 higher than in July of the previous year. Altogether 2.7 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 42,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 2,000 lower than in last year's July. During this July, 28,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 4,000 more than in July 2009.

Changes 2010/08 – 2009/08 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/08 2009/08 2010/08 - 2009/08
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Unemployed job seekers 257 270 –4,7
– unemployed over a year 57 41 38,7
Total measures 82 75 9,6
– employed with subsidised measures 36 33 8,1
– in labour market training 29 26 12,6
– in trainee and job alternation places 17 16 7,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 42 32 30,7
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

Updated tables of the Labour Force Survey: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tau_en.html

Employment and unemployment in 2009
http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2009/tyti_2009_2010-02-16_kat_001_en.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: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tramo_seats_en.html

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU  can be found 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 2010, August. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 21.9.2010

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. August 2010. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2010/08/tyti_2010_08_2010-09-21_tie_001_en.html