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Published: 23 September 2014

Unemployment rate 7.4 per cent in August

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in August 2014 was 197,000, which was 6,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.4 per cent, having been 7.1 per cent in August of the year before. The number of employed persons was 21,000 lower than in last year's August. The weak labour market situation does not encourage people to seek work actively, which is visible as an increase in disguised unemployment. The number of persons in disguised unemployment in the inactive population was 32,000 higher than one year earlier.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/08–2014/08, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/08–2014/08, persons aged 15–74

In August 2014, the number of employed persons was 2,465,000, which was 21,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 29,000 fewer employed men and 8,000 more employed women than in August 2013. The number of employed persons decreased in both the private and the public sector. The number of employees went down and that of self-employed persons and unpaid family workers remained almost unchanged compared with August 2013.

In August 2014, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.9 per cent, having been 69.4 per cent one year earlier. Men’s employment rate was 69.0 per cent and women’s 68.8 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.1 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 197,000 unemployed in August 2014, i.e. 6,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 105,000 and that of women 91,000.

The unemployment rate in August 2014 was 7.4 per cent and one year earlier it was 7.1 per cent. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent and women’s 7.0 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.2 per cent.

In August, there were a total of 651,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 290,000 were employed and 37,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 327,000. The share of unemployed people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 5.6 per cent. In August, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 11.2 per cent, which was 2.4 percentage points lower than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.1 per cent.

There were 1,434,000 persons in the inactive population in August 2014, which was 24,000 more than in August 2013. Of the inactive population, 149,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 32,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2013.

Changes in employment 2013/08 – 2014/08 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2013/08 2014/08 2013/08 - 2014/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 087 4 096 0,2
Active population total 2 676 2 662 –0,6
Employed 2 486 2 465 –0,8
– employees 2 139 2 118 –1,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 346 347 0,3
Unemployed 191 197 3,2
Inactive population 1 411 1 434 1,7
– Persons in disguised unemployment 116 149 28,0
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 69,4 68,9 –0,5
Unemployment rate 7,1 7,4 0,3
Activity rate 65,5 65,0 –0,5
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 August 2014, there were altogether 319,000 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 29,000 higher than in last year's August.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's August in the areas of all other Employment and Economic Development Centres except in North Karelia (-1%): most in Uusimaa (16%), Satakunta (11%) and Central Finland (11%). At the end of August, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 19,000, which was 3,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 117,000 at the end of August, which was 15,000 more than in August of the year before. Altogether, 4.4 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 44,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 5,000 higher than in last year's August. During this August, 36,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was the same as in August 2013.

Changes 2013/08–2014/08 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2013/08 2014/08 2013/08 - 2014/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 290 319 10,1
– unemployed over a year 76 92 20,9
Services, total 102 117 14,4
– employed 33 39 18,0
– in labour market training, in training 25 24 –4,5
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 8 9 4,8
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 35 45 26,8
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 36 36 0,8
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: Law reform 1 January 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure 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

About seasonally adjusted trend

The accuracy of figures and the margins of error are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey

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 2014, August. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Liisa Larja 029 551 3461, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 23.9.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. August 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2014/08/tyti_2014_08_2014-09-23_tie_001_en.html