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Published: 20 March 2012

Unemployment rate 7.7 per cent in February

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in February was 204,000, which was 17,000 lower than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent, having been 8.4 per cent in February of the year before. There were 32,000 more employed persons than in February of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/02–2012/02

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/02–2012/02

In February 2012, the number of employed persons was 2,458,000, which was 32,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ± 30,000). There were 7,000 more employed men and 26,000 more employed women than in February 2011. The number of employed persons grew in the private sector but fell in the public sector. The numbers of both employees and self-employed persons grew.

In February, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.0 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year previously. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.9 per cent. From the previous year’s February, women’s employment rate rose by 1.5 percentage points to 67.6 per cent and men’s by 0.2 percentage points to 68.4 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 204,000 unemployed in February 2012, i.e. 17,000 fewer than in February of the year before (margin of error ± 16,000). The number of unemployed men was 119,000 and that of women 85,000.

At 7.7 per cent, the unemployment rate in February was 0.7 percentage points lower than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent and women’s 6.6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.4 per cent. In February 2012, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 20.5 per cent, which was 0.8 percentage points lower than in the previous year’s February. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.6 per cent.

Changes in employment 2011/02–2012/02 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2011/02 2012/02 2011/02 - 2012/02
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 053 4 070 0,4
Active population total 2 647 2 662 0,6
Employed 2 425 2 458 1,3
– employees 2 091 2 112 1,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 334 346 3,6
Unemployed 221 204 –7,8
Inactive population 1 407 1 408 0,1
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 67,1 68,0 0,9
Unemployment rate 8,4 7,7 –0,7
Activity rate 65,3 65,4 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 February 2012, there were altogether 254,000 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 5,000 lower than in February 2011.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of ten Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Pirkanmaa, Varsinais-Suomi, Häme, North Savo and Satakunta, in all by -5 per cent. Correspondingly, the number of unemployed job seekers increased most in North Karelia (6%) and Åland (9%). At the end of February, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was 2,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 111,000 at the end of February, which was 1,000 fewer than in February of the year before. Altogether 4.2 per cent of the active population was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 32,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 1,000 higher than in February of the year before. During this February, 62,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 3,000 more than in February 2011.

Changes 2011/02– 2012/02 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2011/02 2012/02 2011/02 - 2012/02
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 259 254 –2,0
– unemployed over a year 58 59 1,9
Total measures 112 111 –0,5
– employed with subsidised measures 36 32 –11,4
– in labour market training 34 29 –15,1
– in trainee and job alternation places 19 21 10,4
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 23 29 29,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 59 62 4,8
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

Employment improved in 2011

Labour Force Survey database tables (containing annual averages for 2011)

Labour Force Survey 2010, Time series data 2001–2010

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

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


Source: Labour force survey 2012, February. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, Kalle Sinivuori 09 1734 3524, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (457.5 kB)

Tables

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 20.03.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. February 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2012/02/tyti_2012_02_2012-03-20_tie_001_en.html