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Published: 24 May 2011

Unemployment rate 8.2 per cent in April

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in April was 220,000, which is 28,000 lower than one year ago. At 8.2 per cent, the unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points lower than one year earlier. There were 41,000 more employed than in April of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/04

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/04

In April 2011, the number of employed persons was 2,458,000, which was 41,000 higher than a year earlier. Employment increased among both men and women. The number of employed persons decreased in the area of the Regional State Administrative Agency (AVI) of Northern Finland but increased in the areas of all other AVIs.

In April, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.2 per cent, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.5 per cent. From the previous year’s April, men’s employment rate rose by 1.6 percentage points to 69.0 per cent and women’s by 0.9 percentage points to 67.4 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 220,000 unemployed in April 2011, i.e. 28,000 fewer than in April of the year before. The number of unemployed men was 134,000 and that of women 86,000.

At 8.2 per cent, the unemployment rate was 1.1 percentage points lower in April than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.6 per cent and women’s 6.7 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.0 per cent. In April, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 23.5 per cent, which was 3.1 percentage points lower than in April of the year before. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.1 per cent.

Changes in employment 2010/04 – 2011/04 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2010/04 2011/04 2010/04 - 2011/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 040 4 055 0,4
Active population total 2 666 2 678 0,5
Employed 2 418 2 458 1,7
– employees 2 092 2 142 2,4
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 325 316 –2,8
Unemployed 248 220 –11,3
Inactive population 1 374 1 377 0,2
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 66,9 68,2 1,3
Unemployment rate 9,3 8,2 –1,1
Activity rate 66,0 66,0 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 April 2011, there were altogether 238,000 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 25,000 lower than in April 2010.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). The number of unemployed job seekers declined most in South Ostrobothnia (–19%), Ostrobothnia (–17%), and in Häme, Pirkanmaa, Kainuu and Lapland (–11%). At the end of April, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 16,000, which was 8,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 115,000 at the end of April, which was 13,000 higher than in April of the year before. Altogether 4.3 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 27,000 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 April. During this April, 47,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 7,000 more than in April 2010.

Changes 2010/04– 2011/04 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/04 2011/04 2010/04- 2011/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 262 238 –9,4
– unemployed over a year 52 57 10,4
Total measures 103 115 12,4
– employed with subsidised measures 32 37 13,6
– in labour market training 37 36 –4,1
– in trainee and job alternation places 22 20 –10,1
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 11 23 106,5
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 40 47 17,3
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +358 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, April. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (456.5 kB)

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 24.5.2011

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. April 2011. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2011/04/tyti_2011_04_2011-05-24_tie_001_en.html