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Published: 24 September 2013

There were 40,000 fewer employed persons and 9,000 fewer unemployed persons than one year ago

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 40,000 fewer employed persons and 60,000 more persons in the inactive population in August 2013 than a year earlier. The weak labour market situation does not encourage people to seek work actively. This is also visible as an increase in the inactive population. The number of unemployed persons in August 2013 was 191,000, which was 9,000 lower than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.1 per cent, having been 7.3 per cent in August of the year before.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/08

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/08

In August 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,486,000 (margin of error ±32,000), which was 40,000 lower than a year earlier. Employment decreased among both men and women. The number of employed persons decreased clearly in the private sector but grew in the public sector compared with August 2012.

This August, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 69.4 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than one year before. From last year’s August, men’s employment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 70.5 per cent and women’s by 0.9 percentage points to 68.3 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.5 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 191,000 (margin of error ±16,000) unemployed in August 2013, i.e. 9,000 fewer than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 99,000 and that of women 92,000.

At 7.1 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points lower in August than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent. The unemployment rate of both men and women was 7.1 per cent.

In August, there were a total of 656,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 287,000 were employed and 45,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 332,000. In August, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 13.6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.0 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 6.9 per cent.

There were 1,411,000 persons in the inactive population in August 2013, which was 60,000 more than in August 2012. Of the inactive population, 116,000 persons were in disguised unemployment .

Changes in employment 2012/08 – 2013/08 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/08 2013/08 2012/08 - 2013/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 076 4 087 0,3
Active population total 2 725 2 676 –1,8
Employed 2 526 2 486 –1,6
– employees 2 186 2 140 –2,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 340 347 –2,0
Unemployed 199 191 –4,4
Inactive population 1 351 1 411 4,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 113 116 2,6
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 70,0 69,4 –0,6
Unemployment rate 7,3 7,1 –0,2
Activity rate 66,9 65,5 –1,4
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 August 2013, there were altogether 290,000 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 44,000 higher than in last year's August.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's August in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (26%), Pirkanmaa (23%) and Kainuu (23%). At the end of August, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 16,000, which was 6,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 102,000 at the end of August, which was 1,000 more than in August of the year before. Altogether, 3.8 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 39,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 7,000 higher than in last year's August. During this August, 36,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 6,000 fewer than in August 2012.

Changes 2012/08 – 2013/08 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/08 2013/08 2012/08 - 2013/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 246 290 18,0
– unemployed over a year 62 76 22,3
Services, total 101 102 1,4
– employed 30 33 10,4
– in labour market training, in training 24 25 5,3
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 11 8 –20,5
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 36 35 –2,3
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 42 36 –13,8
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
1) The law reform that entered into force at the beginning of 2013 and the change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July increase the number of unemployed job seekers somewhat.

Links: Legislative amendment on 1 Jan. 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July 2013

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Labour Force Survey tables in databases

Quality description

About seasonally adjusted trend

Comparison between the statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

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 2013, August. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Joanna Viinikka 09 1734 3796, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 24.9.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. August 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 16.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/08/tyti_2013_08_2013-09-24_tie_001_en.html