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Published: 25 October 2011

Unemployment rate 6.9 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in September was 180,000, i.e. almost the same as one year ago. The unemployment rate in September was 6.9 per cent, having been 7.0 per cent twelve months earlier. There were 10,000 more employed persons than in September of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the third quarter of the year (July to September) was 6.8 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than in the respective period of 2010.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/09

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/09

In September 2011, the number of employed persons was 2,440,000, which was 10,000 higher than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (± 31,000). Men's employment went down by 13,000, while the number of employed women went up by 24,000 persons.

In September, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.8 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.8 per cent. Women’s employment rate rose from last year’s September by 1.5 percentage points to 67.1 per cent whereas men’s employment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 68.5 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, there were 180,000 unemployed in September 2011, i.e. 3,000 fewer than in September 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 was 106,000 and that of women 74,000.

At 6.9 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower in September than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent and women’s 5.8 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent. In September 2009 the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 16.8 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points higher than in the previous year’s September. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.1 per cent.

Changes in employment 2010/09 – 2011/09 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2010/09 2011/09 2010/09 - 2011/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 047 4 062 0,4
Active population total 2 613 2 621 0,3
Employed 2 430 2 440 0,4
– employees 2 102 2 102 0,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 328 338 3,1
Unemployed 183 180 –1,6
Inactive population 1 434 1 441 0,5
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,3 67,8 0,6
Unemployment rate 7,0 6,9 –0,1
Activity rate 64,6 64,5 –0,1
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the third quarter of 2011

The average number of employed persons in the third quarter of 2011 was 2,514,000, or approximately 23,000 higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2010. The industries where the number of employed persons went up included human health and social work activities, manufacturing and construction of buildings. The number of employed persons decreased in agriculture, and in transportation and storage activities.

The average number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of the year was 183,000, which was 12,000 fewer than in the July to September period of 2010. The unemployment rate in the third quarter of the year was 6.8 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than in the respective period of 2010.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was around 0.7 per cent higher in the third quarter of 2011 than twelve months previously.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2010/III 2011/III 2010/III - 2011/III
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 686 2 697 0,4
Employed persons total 2 490 2 514 0,9
Unemployed total 195 183 –6,3
– men 106 101 –5,1
– women 89 83 –7,7
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 September 2011, there were altogether 224,000 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 17,000 lower than in last year's September.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). In Åland, the number of unemployed job seekers grew from the previous year (5%). The number of unemployed job seekers declined most in Häme (–11%), Pirkanmaa (–11%), Ostrobothnia (–10%) and Kainuu (–10%). At the end of September, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 9,000, which was 5,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The total number of persons covered by labour market policy measures was 113,000 at the end of September, which was 4,000 higher than in September 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 3,000 lower than in last year’s September. During this September, 42,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 3,000 more than in September 2010.

Changes 2010/09– 2011/09 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/09 2011/09 2010/09- 2011/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 241 224 –6,9
– unemployed over a year 56 56 0,6
Total measures 109 113 3,5
– employed with subsidised measures 37 36 –3,3
– in labour market training 34 30 –13,5
– in trainee and job alternation places 19 20 4,4
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 19 28 46,1
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 40 42 6,4
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

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment and unemployment in 2010

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment relationships and working hours in 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 2011, September. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 25.10.2011

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. September 2011. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 26.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2011/09/tyti_2011_09_2011-10-25_tie_001_en.html