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Published: 25 June 2013

Unemployment rate 10.8 per cent in May

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in May 2013 was 300,000, which was 34,000 higher than one year ago. At 10.8 per cent, the unemployment rate was 1.3 percentage points higher than one year earlier. The unemployment figures in the Labour Force Survey are at their highest in May when students enter the labour market. There were 50,000 fewer employed than in May of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/05

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/05

In May 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,474,000 (margin of error ±31,000), which was 50,000 lower than a year earlier. There were 29,000 fewer employed men and 21,000 fewer employed women than in May 2012. The number of both self-employed persons and wage and salary earners decreased compared with May 2012.

In May, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.9 per cent, which was 1.0 percentage point lower than one year before. From last year’s May, men’s employment rate fell by 1.0 percentage point to 69.6 per cent and women’s by 0.9 percentage points to 68.2 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 300,000 unemployed in May 2013 (margin of error ±20,000), i.e. 34,000 more than in May of the year before. The number of unemployed men was 174,000 and that of women 126,000.

At 10.8 per cent, the unemployment rate in May was 1.3 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 12.0 per cent and women’s 9.5 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.5 per cent.

In May, there were a total of 657,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 265,000 were employed and 144,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 409,000. In May, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 35.2 per cent, which was 4.5 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.9 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 21.9 per cent.

In May, the number of the unemployed in the Labour Force Survey is usually higher than in the other months of the year. Young people looking for a summer job and finishing their studies enter the labour market at the same time, which temporarily raises the number of unemployed and the unemployment rate. In May, the trend adjusted for seasonal and random variation gives a better picture of the level of unemployment than monthly estimates.

Changes in employment 2012/05 – 2013/05 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/05 2013/05 2012/05 - 2013/05
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 073 4 085 0,3
Active population total 2 790 2 774 –0,6
Employed 2 525 2 474 –2,0
– employees 2 187 2142 –2,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 338 332 –1,6
Unemployed 266 300 12,8
Inactive population 1 283 1 311 2,2
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 69,9 68,9 –1,0
Unemployment rate 9,5 10,8 1,3
Activity rate 68,5 67,9 –0,6
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 May 2013, there were altogether 269,000 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 40,000 higher than in May 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's May in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Pirkanmaa (26%), Uusimaa (23%) and Varsinais-Suomi (21%). At the end of May, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 16,000, which was 5,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 109,000 at the end of May, which was 3,000 fewer than in May of the year before. Altogether, 3.9 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 33,000 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 May. During May, 42,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 8,000 fewer than in May 2012.

Changes 2012/05 – 2013/05 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/05 2013/05 2012/05 - 2013/05
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 229 269 17,3
– unemployed over a year 61 70 15,4
Services, total 113 109 –3,1
– employed 33 32 –2,7
– in labour market training, in training 28 28 –1,5
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 14 12 –12,3
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 38 37 –1,1
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 50 42 –16,0
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, May. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (460.6 kB)

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Appendix tables

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Updated 25.6.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. May 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/05/tyti_2013_05_2013-06-25_tie_001_en.html