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Published: 25 November 2008

Number of unemployed almost unchanged

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in October was 2 522 000, or 27 000 higher than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (±29 000). The number of employed persons grew in the private sector and stayed nearly unchanged in the public sector. The number of employed persons went up in the Provinces of Southern and Eastern Finland and fell in the Province of Western Finland.

In October, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 70,2 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 70,6 per cent. The employment rate of men was 71,8 per cent and that of women 68,6 per cent. The employment rate among young people fell from 40,2 to 39,5 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 155 000 unemployed in October 2008, i.e. 8 000 fewer than in October of the year before. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of unemployed persons (±14 000). The number of unemployed men grew, whereas that of unemployed women fell.

At 5,8 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0,4 percentage points lower than one year earlier. The unemployment rate of men was 6,0 per cent and that of women 5,6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 6,5 per cent in October.

The rate of unemployment was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, where it stood at 4,7 per cent, and highest in the Province of Lapland, at 10,6 per cent. In October 2008, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 16,2 per cent, which was 1,4 percentage points higher than in the previous year’s October. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 17,1 per cent.

Changes in the labour force 2008/10 – 2007/10 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, thousand persons

  2008/10 2007/10 Change, %
2008/10 - 2007/10
Population aged 15-74 4 011 3 988 0,6
Labour force, total 2 677 2 658 0,7
Employed, total 2 522 2 495 1,1
– employees 2 192 2 192 0,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 329 302 9,0
Unemployed persons 155 164 –5,0
Total persons not in labour force 1 334 1 329 0,3
      Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), % 70,2 69,8 0,4
Unemployment rate, % 5,8 6,2 –0,4
Labour force participation rate, % 66,7 66,7 0,1
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.		      

According to the Labour Force Survey, the average number of employed persons in the January to October 2008 period was 2 537 000, which is 43 000 more than over the corresponding period in the year before. The average number of unemployed persons was 174 000, or 14 000 fewer than in the January to October period of 2007.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of October 2008, there were altogether 193 000 persons registered, in accordance with the Unemployment security Act and the Labour Exchange Office Regulations, as job seekers at the employment offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 6 000 lower than in October 2007. Unemployment fell from the previous year in the areas of all other Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from those of Pirkanmaa (2 %) and North Ostrobothnia (0 %). The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 86 000 the end of October, which was 3 000 fewer than in October of the year before. Altogether 3,2 per cent of the labour force were covered by labour market policy measures. There were 21 000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment offices. Their number was 1 000 higher than in last year's October. In October, 39 000 new vacancies were reported to the employment offices, which is 4 000 fewer than in October 2007.

Changes 2008/10 – 2007/10 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, thousand persons

  2008/10 2007/10 Change, %
2008/10 - 2007/10
Unemployed job seekers 193 198 –2,9
– unemployed over a year 41 48 –14,7
Total measures 86 89 –3,5
– employed with subsidised measures 38 36 3,3
– in labour market training 31 34 –9,2
– in trainee and job alternation places 18 19 –6,2
New vacancies at employment offices 39 44 –9,7
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.      

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +359 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Differences between the Labour Force Survey and the Employment Service Statistics are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey.

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU  can be found under the theme of Population and social conditions on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.


Source: Labour force survey 2008, October. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Pekka Tossavainen (09) 1734 3517, Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 25.11.2008

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. October 2008. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 16.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2008/10/tyti_2008_10_2008-11-25_tie_001_en.html