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Published: 26 November 2013

Unemployment rate 7.4 per cent in October

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in October 2013 was 194,000, which was 11,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.4 per cent, having been 6.9 per cent in October of the year before. There were 41,000 fewer employed persons than in October of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/10

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/10

In October 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,426,000, which was 41,000 less than a year earlier (margin of error ±31,000). There were 15,000 fewer employed men and 26,000 fewer employed women than in October 2012. The number of employed persons increased in the public sector but decreased in the private sector compared with October 2012.

In October, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.1 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than one year before. From last year’s October, men’s employment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points to 69.2 per cent and women’s by 0.8 percentage points to 66.9 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 194,000 unemployed in October 2013, i.e. 11,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±16,000). The number of unemployed men was 103,000 and that of women 91,000.

At 7.4 per cent, the unemployment rate in January was 0.5 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent and women’s 7.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.2 per cent.

In October, there were a total of 656,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 241,000 were employed and 48,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 289,000. In October, 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 0.4 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.

There were 1,470,000 persons in the inactive population in October 2013, which was 41,000 more than in October 2012. Of the inactive population, 117,000 persons were in disguised unemployment .

Changes in employment 2012/10 – 2013/10 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/10 2013/10 2012/10 - 2013/10
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 079 4 090 0,3
Active population total 2 650 2 620 –1,1
Employed 2 467 2 426 –1,7
– employees 2 140 2 103 –1,7
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 327 323 –1,3
Unemployed 183 194 6,0
Inactive population 1 429 1 470 2,9
– persons in disguised unemployment 120 117 –2,8
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,7 68,1 –0,6
Unemployment rate 6,9 7,4 0,5
Activity rate 65,0 64,1 –0,9
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 October 2013, there were a total of 290,000 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 39,000 higher than in October 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's October in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (25%), Kainuu (25%) and Pirkanmaa (20%). At the end of October, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was 6,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 118,000 at the end of October, which was 6,000 more than in October of the previous year. Altogether, 4.5 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 36,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 6,000 higher than in last year's October. During this October, 34,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 fewer than in October 2012.

Changes 2012/10 – 2013/10 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/10 2013/10 2012/10 - 2013/10
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 250 290 15,8
– unemployed over a year 62 78 25,3
Services, total 112 118 5,8
– employed 30 35 18,7
– in labour market training, in training 31 31 2,3
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 14 12 –15,1
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 37 39 6,2
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 35 34 –2,1
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, October. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

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Quality descriptions

Updated 26.11.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. October 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/10/tyti_2013_10_2013-11-26_tie_001_en.html