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Published: 22 October 2013

Unemployment rate 7.6 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in September 2013 was 199,000, which was 12,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent, having been 7.1 per cent in September of the year before. There were 32,000 fewer employed persons than in September of the previous year. In the third quarter (July to September), unemployment rate remained at 7.1 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2012.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/09

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/09

In September 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,418,000, which was 32,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 12,000 fewer employed men and 20,000 fewer employed women than in September 2012. The number of both employees and self-employed persons decreased compared with last year's September.

In September, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.3 per cent, which was 0.8 percentage points lower than one year before. From last year’s September, men’s employment rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 68.1 per cent and women’s by 1.0 percentage points to 66.5 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.3 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 199,000 unemployed in September 2013, i.e. 12,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 113,000 and that of women 85,000.

At 7.6 per cent, the unemployment rate in September was 0.5 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent and women’s 6.8 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.1 per cent.

In September, there were a total of 656,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 221,000 were employed and 48,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 269,000. In September, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 17.9 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.7 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 7.3 per cent.

Changes in employment 2012/09 – 2013/09 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/09 2013/09 2012/09 - 2013/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 077 4 088 0,3
Active population total 2 637 2 617 –0,8
Employed 2 451 2 418 –1,3
– employees 2 103 2 079 –1,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 348 339 –2,5
Unemployed 187 199 6,4
Inactive population 1 440 1 472 2,2
– Persons in disguised unemployment 120 131 8,7
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,1 67,3 –0,8
Unemployment rate 7,1 7,6 0,5
Activity rate 64,7 64,0 –0,7
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 2013

In the third quarter of 2013, the average number of employed persons was 2,490,000, or 39,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2012. The number of employed persons increased most in education and decreased in manufacturing.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 1.7 per cent lower in the third quarter of 2013 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of 2013 was 191,000, which was slightly fewer than in the July to September period of 2012. In the third quarter of 2013, unemployment rate remained at 7.1 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2012.

In the third quarter of 2013, 1,406,000 persons were in the inactive population. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the number grew by 52,000, of whom 15,000 were men and 37,000 women. The size of the inactive population increased most in the 65 to 74 age group, by 28,000 persons. Of the inactive population, 123,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 7,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2012.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2012/III 2013/III 2012/III - 2013/III
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 721 2 681 –1,5
Employed persons total 2 529 2 490 –1,5
Unemployed total 193 191 –1,1
– men 101 104 2,3
– women 91 87 –4,8
Inactive population 1 354 1 406 3,8
– Persons in disguised unemployment 116 123 5,8
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 2013, there were altogether 285,000 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 September 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's September in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (26%), Pirkanmaa (23%) and Kainuu (23%). At the end of September, the number of persons fully laid off registered at the employment and economic development offices was 17,000, which was 7,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 114,000 at the end of September, which was 5,000 more than in September of the previous year. Altogether, 4.3 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 September. During this September, 35,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 fewer than in September 2012.

Changes 2012/09 – 2013/09 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/09 2013/09 2012/09 - 2013/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 241 285 18,0
– unemployed over a year 61 77 26,5
Services, total 108 114 4,9
– employed 30 35 14,9
– in labour market training, in training 28 30 6,0
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 13 10 –17,2
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 37 38 3,4
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 36 35 –3,7
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, September. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (638.3 kB)

Tables

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 22.10.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. September 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/09/tyti_2013_09_2013-10-22_tie_001_en.html