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Published: 21 January 2014

Unemployment rate 7.9 per cent in December

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in December 2013 was 205,000, which was 26,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent, having been 6.9 per cent in December of the year before. The number of employed persons was nearly the same as in December of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter (October to December) was 7.7 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2012. In 2013, the employment rate was 8.2 per cent, having been 7.7 per cent in 2012.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/12

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/12

In December 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,409,000 (margin of error ±33,000), which was 3,000 lower than a year earlier. There were 24,000 fewer employed men and 20,000 more employed women than in December 2012. The number of employed persons increased in the public sector and decreased in the private sector compared with December 2012.

In December, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year before. The employment rate for men fell by 1.8 percentage points from last year’s December to 67.2 per cent. Women's employment rate rose by 1.1 percentage points to 66.6 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.2 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 205,000 unemployed (margin of error ±18,000) in December 2013, i.e. 26,000 more than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 112,000 and that of women 93,000.

At 7.9 per cent, the unemployment rate in December was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.4 per cent and women’s 7.3 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent.

In December, there were a total of 655,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 234,000 were employed and 47,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 280,000. In December, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 16.6 per cent, which was 0.2 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.3 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 7.1 per cent.

Changes in employment 2012/12 – 2013/12 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/12 2013/12 2012/12 - 2013/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 082 4 091 0,2
Active population total 2 593 2 615 0,9
Employed 2 413 2 409 –0,1
– employees 2 079 2 084 0,2
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 334 325 –2,5
Unemployed 180 205 14,2
Inactive population 1 489 1 477 –0,8
– Persons in disguised unemployment 137 151 10,0
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,3 66,9 –0,4
Unemployment rate 6,9 7,9 0,9
Activity rate 63,5 63,9 0,4
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the fourth quarter of 2013

In the fourth quarter of 2013, the average number of employed persons was 2,422,000, or 25,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2012. The number of employed persons increased most in professional, scientific and technical activities and decreased in wholesale and retail trade.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 1.8 per cent lower in the fourth quarter of 2013 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the fourth quarter of 2013 was 203,000, which was 18,000 more than in the October to December period of 2012. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2013 was 7.7 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2012.

In the last quarter of 2013, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,466,000, which was 18,000 higher than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 137,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 10,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2012.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2012/IV 2013/IV 2012/IV - 2013/IV
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 633 2 625 –0,3
Employed persons total 2 448 2 422 –1,0
Unemployed total 185 203 9,6
– men 105 110 4,0
– women 80 93 17,0
Inactive population 1 447 1 466 1,3
– Persons in disguised unemployment 127 137 8,0
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey annual averages for 2013

In 2013, the average number of employed persons was 2,457,000, which was 27,000 lower than in 2012. In 2013, the employment rate was 68.5 per cent, having been 69.0 per cent in 2012.

The unemployment rate for 2013 was 8.2 per cent. In 2012, the unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent and in 2011, it was 7.8 per cent. In 2013, the average number of unemployed persons was 219,000, which was 12,000 higher than in 2012.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was approximately 1.9 per cent lower in 2013 than in 2012. The amount of labour input per employed person also decreased slightly.

The annual averages from the Labour Force Survey for the year 2013 are published in the appendix tables of this publication and in the database tables of Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey: http://pxweb2.stat.fi/database/StatFin/Tym/tyti/tyti_en.asp . A general review on annual data concerning 2013 and on time series data for 2004 to 2013 will be released on 1 April 2014.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of December 2013, there were altogether 330,000 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 48,000 higher than in December 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's December in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres: most in Uusimaa (25%), Kainuu (24%) and Pirkanmaa (22%). At the end of December, the number of persons fully laid off registered at the employment and economic development offices was 33,000, which was 10,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 111,000 at the end of December, which was 9,000 more than in December of the previous year. Altogether, 4.3 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 44,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 9,000 higher than in December of the year before. During December, 27,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 2,000 fewer than in December 2012.

Changes 2012/12 – 2013/12 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/12 2013/12 2012/12 - 2013/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 282 330 16,9
– unemployed over a year 66 83 25,3
Services, total 102 111 9,2
– employed 28 34 24,0
– in labour market training, in training 27 27 –0,8
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 13 10 –24,4
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 35 41 17,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 29 27 –6,4
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

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

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, December. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (758.5 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 21.1.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. December 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 8.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/12/tyti_2013_12_2014-01-21_tie_001_en.html