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Published: 24 February 2009

Number of employed lower in January than one year ago

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in January 2009 was 2 454 000, or 26 000 lower than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (± 29 000). The number of wage and salary earners was lower than in January 2008, whereas that of self-employed persons grew. The number of employed persons aged under 55 fell but that of employed persons aged 55 and over grew. The number of employed persons diminished especially in the Province of Southern Finland.

In January 2009, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68,3 per cent, which was 1,1 percentage points lower than one year earlier. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 70,3 per cent, whereas in December 2008 it was 70,4 per cent. The employment rate of men was 69,4 per cent and that of women 67,1 per cent. The employment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 fell by 2,0 percentage points from January 2008 to 36,1 per cent.

Changes in the labour force 2009/01 – 2008/01 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, thousand persons

	2009/01	2008/01	Change, % 2009/01 - 2008/01
Population aged 15-74	4 015	3 993	0,6
Labour force, total	2 639	2 661	–0,8
Employed, total	2 454	2 480	–1,0
– employees	2 128	2 171	–2,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers	326	310	5,4
Unemployed persons	184	181	2,0
Total persons not in labour force	1 376	1 332	3,3
			Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), %	68,3	69,3	–1,1
Unemployment rate, %	7,0	6,8	0,2
Labour force participation rate, %	65,7	66,6	–0,9
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column. The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 184 000 unemployed in January 2009, i.e. 4 000 more than in January of the year before. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of unemployed persons (±15 000). The number of unemployed men grew, whereas that of unemployed women diminished.

At 7,0 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0,2 percentage points higher in January than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate was 6,6 per cent in January. Men’s unemployment rate went up by 1,0 percentage point to 7,3 per cent whereas women’s unemployment rate fell by 0,6 percentage points to 6,7 per cent. In January 2009 the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 15,6 per cent, which was 2,1 percentage points lower than in the previous year’s January. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 15,6 per cent. The rate of unemployment was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, where it stood at 5,8 per cent, and highest in the Province of Lapland, at 12,1 per cent.

The number of persons not in the labour force was 45 000 higher in January than twelve months earlier.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of January 2009, there were altogether 246 000 persons registered, in accordance with the Unemployment Security Act and the Employment Office Regulations, as job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 28 000 higher than in January 2008. Unemployment grew from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres. The number of unemployed job-seekers increased most in South Ostrobothnia (23%), Pirkanmaa (20%) and Ostrobothnia (19%). At the end of January, the number of laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 27 000, which was 17 000 more than twelve months earlier. The total number of persons covered by labour market policy measures was 77 000 at the end of January, which was 3 000 fewer than in January of the year before. Altogether 2,9 per cent of the labour force were covered by labour market policy measures. There were 30 000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 8 000 higher than in last year's January. During this January, 45 000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 22 000 fewer than in January 2008.

Changes 2009/01 – 2008/01 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, thousand persons

	2009/01	2008/01	Change, % 2009/01 - 2008/01
Unemployed job seekers	246	219	12,6
– unemployed over a year	41	47	–13,6
Total measures	77	80	–3,9
– employed with subsidised measures	34	34	1,6
– in labour market training	28	30	–6,6
– in trainee and job alternation places	15	17	–10,5
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices	45	68	–32,9
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

Differences between the Labour Force Survey and the Employment Service Statistics are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey.

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU  can be found under the theme of Population and social conditions on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.

Source: Labour force survey 2009, January. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heidi Melasniemi-Uutela (09) 1734 2523, Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, Veli Rajaniemi (09) 1734 3434, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (429.2 kB)

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Appendix tables

• 1.1 Key indicators in the Labour Force Survey by sex 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 1.2 Population aged 15-74 by labour force status and sex 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 1.3 Population aged 15-74 by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 2.1 Labour force participation rate by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 2.2 Labour force by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.1 Employment rate by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.2 Employed persons by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.3 Employed persons by status in employment 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.4 Employed persons by employer sector 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.5 Employed persons by province 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.6 Proportion of part-time employed persons in all employed persons by sex 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 3.7 Part-time employed persons by sex 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 4.1 Employees by type of employment relationship (%) 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 4.2 Employees by type of employment relationship 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 5.1 Unemployment rate by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 5.2 Unemployed persons by sex and age 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 5.3 Unemployment rate by province 2009/01 - 2008/01 (24.2.2009)
• 6.1 Seasonally adjusted trends 2009/01 (24.2.2009)

Figures

• 1.1 Employed persons, trend and original series (24.2.2009)
• 1.2 Employment rate, trend and original series (24.2.2009)
• 2.1 Unemployed persons, trend and original series (24.2.2009)
• 2.2 Unemployment rate, trend and original series (24.2.2009)

Quality descriptions

• Quality Description: Labour force survey (24.2.2009)

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Updated 24.02.2009