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Published: 25 October 2016

Unemployment rate 7.7 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in September 2016 was 204,000, which was 21,000 lower than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent, having been 8.4 per cent in September of the year before. There were 7,000 more employed than in September of the previous year. The unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in the third quarter (July to September), having been 8.4 per cent in the respective quarter of 2015.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2006/09–2016/09, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2006/09–2016/09, persons aged 15–74

In September 2016, the number of employed persons was 2,459,000 which was 7,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 2,000 more employed men and 5,000 more employed women than in September 2015.

In September, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 69.2 per cent, having been 68.8 per cent one year earlier. From last year’s September, men’s employment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points to 70.2 per cent and women’s by 0.3 percentage points to 68.2 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.9 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 204,000 unemployed in September 2016 (margin of error ±18,000), i.e. 21,000 fewer than in September of the year before. The number of unemployed men was 104,000 and that of women 100,000.

At 7.7 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower in September than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent and women’s 7.8 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent.

In September, there were a total of 635,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 252,000 were employed and 50,000 were unemployed. The number of young people in the active population, i.e. the employed and unemployed in total, was 302,000. 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 16.5 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points lower than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.0 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 7.8 per cent.

There were 1,445,000 persons in the inactive population in September 2016, which was 20,000 more than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 152,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 4,000 fewer than in September 2015.

Changes in employment 2015/09 – 2016/09 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2015/09 2016/09 2015/09 - 2016/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 102 4 108 0,2
Active population total 2 678 2 664 –0,5
Employed 2 452 2 459 0,3
– employees 2 105 2 116 0,5
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 347 344 –0,9
Unemployed 225 204 –9,4
Inactive population 1 424 1 445 1,4
– Persons in disguised unemployment 156 152 –2,7
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,8 69,2 0,4
Unemployment rate 8,4 7,7 –0,8
Activity rate 65,3 64,8 –0,4
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 2016

In the third quarter of 2016, the average number of employed persons was 2,493,000, or 12,000 higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2015. The number of employed persons increased most in the industry of wholesale and retail trade (G) and decreased most in manufacturing (C) and in information and communication activities (J).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 0.3 per cent lower in the third quarter of 2016 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of the year was 204,000, which was 22,000 fewer than in the July to September period of 2015. The unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2016, having been 8.4 per cent in the respective quarter of 2015.

In the third quarter of 2016, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,410,000, which was 18,000 higher than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 157,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 8,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2015.

Changes in employment 2015/III – 2016/III according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Quarter Change
2015/III 2016/III 2015/III - 2016/III
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 708 2 697 –0,4
Employed persons total 2 481 2 493 0,5
Unemployed total 226 204 –9,8
– men 118 104 –12,3
– women 108 100 –7,1
Inactive population 1 393 1 410 1,3
– Persons in disguised unemployment 149 157 5,5
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

At the end of September 2016, there were altogether 329,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as unemployed job seekers at the employment and economic development offices. The number of unemployed job seekers was 8,000 lower than in last year's September.

Unemployment fell in September from the corresponding period in 2015 in the areas of twelve Employment and Economic Development Centres: most in Kainuu (–12%), Pohjois-Savo (–8%), Etelä-Savo (–7%) and Häme (–7%). Unemployment increased only in the areas of the Economic Development Centres of Ostrobothnia (8%), Pirkanmaa (1%) and North Karelia (1%). At the end of September, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 17,000, which was 3,000 fewer than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 124,000 at the end of September, which was 6,000 more than in September of the previous year. Altogether, 4.7 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 42,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 3,000 lower than in last year’s September. During this September, 47,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 9,000 more than in September 2015.

Changes 2015/09–2016/09 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

  Year/Month Change
2015/09 2016/09 2015/09 - 2016/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 337 329 –2,3
– unemployed over a year 113 125 10,9
Services, total 118 124 4,8
– employed 23 24 4,9
– in labour market training, in training 25 24 –3,3
– engaged in work/training trials 12 11 –8,3
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 59 65 10,9
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 38 47 24,5
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment:
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050,  http://www.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi

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 employment statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

Job vacancy survey

Latest data on open job vacancies published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat


Source: Labour force survey 2016, September. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, Tuomas Remes 029 551 3682, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

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Updated 25.10.2016

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. September 2016. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2016/09/tyti_2016_09_2016-10-25_tie_001_en.html