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Published: 23 April 2013

Unemployment rate 9.0 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in March 2013 was 236,000, which was 9,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.0 per cent, having been 8.5 per cent in March of the year before. There were 41,000 fewer employed persons than in March of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the first quarter (January to March) was 8.8 per cent, which was 0.8 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2012.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/03

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/03

In March 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,391,000, which was 41,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ± 32,000). There were 35,000 fewer employed men and 5,000 fewer employed women than in March 2012. The number of employed persons decreased both in the private and the public sector compared with March 2012.

In March, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.6 per cent, which was 1.0 percentage point lower than one year before. From last year’s March, men’s employment rate fell by 1.6 percentage points to 66.9 per cent and women’s by 0.3 percentage points to 66.3 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.4 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 236,000 unemployed in March 2013, i.e. 9,000 more than in March of the year before (margin of error ± 18,000). The number of unemployed men was 130,000 and that of women 105,000.

At 9.0 per cent, the unemployment rate in March was 0.4 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.7 per cent and women’s 8.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent.

In March, there were a total of 660,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 229,000 were employed and 76,000 were unemployed. Thus, the young labour force (employed and unemployed) totalled 305,000. In March, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 24.8 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.8 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 11.5 per cent.

Changes in employment 2012/03 – 2013/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/03 2013/03 2012/03 - 2013/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 071 4 084 0,3
Active population total 2 658 2 627 –1,2
Employed 2 431 2 391 –1,7
– employees 2 092 2 067 –1,2
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 339 324 –4,6
Unemployed 227 236 3,9
Inactive population 1 412 1 458 3,2
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,6 66,6 –1,0
Unemployment rate 8,5 9,0 0,4
Activity rate 65,3 64,3 –1,0
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the first quarter of 2013

In the first quarter of 2013, the average number of employed persons was 2,408,000, or 24,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2012. The number of employed persons increased the most in accommodation and food service activities and decreased most in human health and social work activities.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 4.3 per cent lower in the first quarter of 2013 than twelve months previously. Due to Easter, there were two working days less in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the January to March period in 2012.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2013 was 232,000, which was 20,000 more than in the January to March period of 2012. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2013 was 8.8 per cent, which was 0.8 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2012.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2012/I 2013/I 2012/I - 2013/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 644 2 640 –0,2
Employed persons total 2 432 2 408 –1,0
Unemployed total 211 232 9,6
– men 120 131 8,8
– women 91 101 10,6
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 March 2013, there were altogether 287,000 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 41,000 higher than in March 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's March in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Varsinais-Suomi (25%), Pirkanmaa (23%), Uusimaa (21%) and Åland (26%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 25,000, which was 6,000 higher than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 107,000 at the end of March, which was 8,000 fewer than in March of the year before. Altogether, 4.1 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 37,000 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 March. During this March, 49,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 6,000 fewer than in March 2012.

Changes 2012/03 – 2013/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/03 2013/03 2012/03 - 2013/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 246 287 16,6
– unemployed over a year 59 68 16,2
Services, total 115 107 –7,2
– employed 32 28 –10,4
– in labour market training, in training 32 29 –4,1
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 15 13 –13,3
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 37 36 –1,0
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 54 49 –10,6
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

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, March. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Joanna Viinikka 09 1734 3796, Ari Väisänen 09 1734 2290, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 23.4.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/03/tyti_2013_03_2013-04-23_tie_001_en.html