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Published: 28 April 2011

Unemployment rate 9.3 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, employment and unemployment were in March 2011 near the level where they were one year earlier. There were 12,000 fewer employed than in March of the previous year. At 9.3 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher than one year before. In the first quarter of the year (January to March), the unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent, having been 9.3 per cent in the corresponding period of 2010.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/03

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/03

In March 2011, the number of employed persons was 2,388,000, which was 12,000 lower 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 was 16,000 higher, while that of employed women was 28,000 lower than in March 2010. The number of employed persons decreased in the areas of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) of Southern and Eastern Finland.

In March, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.4 per cent, which was 0.2 percentage points lower than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.1 per cent. Men’s employment rate rose from last year’s March by one percentage point to 67.9 per cent whereas women’s employment rate fell by 1.4 percentage points to 64.8 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 245,000 unemployed in March 2011, i.e. 5,000 more than in March of the year before. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of unemployed persons (± 17,000). The number of unemployed men was 139,000 and that of women 106,000.

At 9.3 per cent, the unemployment rate in March was 0.2 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 10.1 per cent and women’s 8.4 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate rose to 8.4 per cent. In March 2011, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 27.8 per cent, which was 2.2 percentage points higher than in March of the year before. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.6 per cent.

The number of 15 to 74-year-old women in the inactive population grew by 25,000 from the previous year's March.

Changes in employment 2010/03 – 2011/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2010/03 2011/03 2010/03 - 2011/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 038 4 054 0,4
Active population total 2 639 2 633 –0,3
Employed 2 400 2 388 –0,5
– employees 2 069 2 060 –0,4
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 331 328 –0,9
Unemployed 240 245 2,0
Inactive population 1 399 1 422 1,6
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 66,5 66,4 –0,2
Unemployment rate 9,1 9,3 0,2
Activity rate 65,4 64,9 –0,4
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the first quarter of 2011

The average number of employed persons in the first quarter of 2011 was 2,408,000, or 19,000 more than in the corresponding quarter of 2010. The number of employed persons increased in such industries as construction of buildings, education and social work activities without accommodation.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2011 was 227,000, which was 17,000 fewer than in the January to March period of 2010. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of the year was 8.6 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than in the respective period of 2010.

In the first quarter of 2011, the number of hours worked by employed persons was around 1.7 per cent higher than one year ago.

Changes in employment 2010/I – 2011/I according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey

  Year/Quarter Change
2010/I 2011/I 2010/I - 2011/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 632 2 635 0,1
Employed persons total 2 388 2 408 0,8
Unemployed, total 244 227 –6,9
– men 143 127 –10,8
– women 101 100 –1,3
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 March 2011, there were altogether 248,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 26,000 lower than in March 2010.

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 (-19%), Ostrobothnia (-17 %) and Pirkanmaa (-12%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was 10,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 116,000 at the end of March, which was 16,000 more than in March of the year before. Altogether 4.4 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 6,000 lower than in last year’s March. During this March, 60,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 8,000 more than in March 2010.

Changes 2010/03– 2011/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/03 2011/03 2010/03- 2011/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 273 248 –9,4
– unemployed over a year 51 57 12,5
Total measures 100 116 15,6
– employed with subsidised measures 31 36 15,7
– in labour market training 37 37 –0,2
– in trainee and job alternation places 21 20 –7,9
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 11 23 114,8
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 52 60 15,0
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

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment and unemployment in 2010: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2010//tyti_2010_2011-02-15_tie_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 2011, March. 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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Updated 28.4.2011

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2011. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 3.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2011/03/tyti_2011_03_2011-04-28_tie_001_en.html