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Published: 23 November 2010

Unemployment rate 7.4 per cent in October

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, there were 47,000 more employed in October 2010 than one year ago. The unemployment rate in October was 7.4 per cent, or 0.9 percentage points lower than one year earlier.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2010/10

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2010/10

In October 2010, the number of employed persons was 2,450,000, which was 47,000 higher than a year earlier. Employment increased among both men and women. The share of employees in continuous, full-time work fell from 76.3 to 74.6 per cent. The number of fixed-term employees was 26,000 higher and that of part-time employees 36,000 higher than twelve months ago. The number of employed persons went up in the areas of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) of Southern, Southwestern and Eastern Finland.

In October, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.9 per cent, which was 1.2 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate rose to 68.1 per cent. Men’s employment rate was 68.8 per cent and women’s 67.0 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 195,000 unemployed in October 2010, i.e. 21,000 fewer than in October of the year before.

At 7.4 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.9 percentage points lower in October than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate fell to 8.0 per cent. Women’s unemployment rate was 7.0 per cent and men’s 7.7 per cent. The unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 18.7 per cent in October 2010, which was 0.9 percentage points lower than in October of the previous year. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.6 per cent. The unemployment rate was lowest in the area of Southwestern Finland AVI, where it stood at 6.0 per cent, and highest, at 10.4 per cent, in the area of Northern Finland AVI.

Changes in the labour force 2010/10 – 2010/10 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey

  Year/Month Change
2010/10 2009/10 2010/10 - 2009/10
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Population aged 15-74 4 048 4 031 0,4
Labour force, total 2 644 2 618 1,0
Employed, total 2 450 2 403 1,9
– employees 2 124 2 081 2,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 326 322 1,3
Unemployed persons 195 215 –9,6
Total persons not in labour force 1 404 1 413 –0,6
  Per cent (%) Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), % 67,9 66,7 1,2
Unemployment rate, % 7,4 8,2 –0,9
Labour force participation rate, % 65,3 64,9 0,4
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 October 2010, there were altogether 243,000 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 27,000 lower than in last year’s October.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). The number of unemployed job-seekers decreased most in South Ostrobothnia (-24%), Ostrobothnia (-19%) and Kainuu (-15%). At the end of October, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 15,000, which was 16,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 94,000 at the end of October, which was 11,000 more than in October of the year before. Altogether 3.6 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 28,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 5,000 lower than in last year's October. During this October, 36,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 7,000 more than in October 2009.

Changes 2010/10 – 2009/10 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/10 2009/10 2010/10 - 2009/10
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Unemployed job seekers 243 270 –9,9
– unemployed over a year 57 43 32,5
Total measures 94 83 13,2
– employed with subsidised measures 37 32 14,8
– in labour market training 38 33 15,6
– in trainee and job alternation places 19 18 6,0
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 36 28 26,5
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

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

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

Employment relationships and working hours in 2009 http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2009/15/index_en.html

Families and work in 2009 http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2009/16/index_en.html

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, October. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

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Quality descriptions

Updated 23.11.2010

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. October 2010. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 23.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2010/10/tyti_2010_10_2010-11-23_tie_001_en.html