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Published: 20 November 2012

Unemployment rate 6.9 per cent in October

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in October 2012 was 183,000, which is nearly the same as one year ago. The unemployment rate was 6.9 per cent, having been 7.0 per cent in October of the year before. There were 9,000 more employed persons than in October of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01–2012/10

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01–2012/10

In October 2012, the number of employed persons was 2,467,000, which was 9,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ± 31,000). The number of employed persons grew in the private sector but fell in the public sector. The number of self-employed increased but the number of wage and salary earners decreased slightly.

In October, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.7 per cent, which was 0.4 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 69.1 per cent. From October of the previous year, women’s employment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points to 67.7 per cent and men’s by 0.2 percentage points to 69.6 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 183,000 unemployed in October 2012, i.e. 2,000 fewer than in October of the year before (margin of error ± 16,000). The number of unemployed men was 98,000 and that of women 85,000.

At 6.9 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower in October than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.2 per cent and women’s 6.6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent. In October 2011, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 16.2 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points lower than in October of the year before. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.2 per cent.

Changes in employment 2011/10–2012/10 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2011/10 2012/10 2011/10 - 2012/10
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 063 4 079 0,4
Active population total 2 644 2 650 0,3
Employed 2 458 2 467 0,4
– employees 2 142 2 140 –0,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 316 327 3,7
Unemployed 186 183 –1,3
Inactive population 1 420 1 429 0,6
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 68,3 68,7 0,4
Unemployment rate 7,0 6,9 –0,1
Activity rate 65,1 65,0 –0,1
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 2012, there were a total of 250,000 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 24,000 higher than in October 2011.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's October in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in North Ostrobothnia (15%), Varsinais-Suomi (14%), Pirkanmaa (13%) and Åland (20%). At the end of October, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 14,000, which was 4,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 112,000 at the end of October, which was 5,000 fewer than in October of the year before. Altogether 4.2 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 31,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 4,000 higher than in last year's October. During this October, 35,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 3,000 fewer than in October 2011.

Changes 2011/10– 2012/10 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2011/10 2012/10 2011/10 - 2012/10
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 226 250 10,5
– unemployed over a year 56 62 11,5
Total measures 117 112 –4,3
– employed with subsidised measures 35 30 –14,9
– in labour market training 33 31 –5,8
– in trainee and job alternation places 21 21 0,8
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 29 30 6,4
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 38 35 –8,1
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

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

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 2012, October. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori 09 1734 3524, 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 20.11.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. October 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2012/10/tyti_2012_10_2012-11-20_tie_001_en.html