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Published: 21 February 2012

Unemployment rate 7.8 per cent in January

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in January was 203,000, which was 12,000 lower than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 7.8 per cent, having been 8.2 per cent in January of the year before. The number of employed persons was almost the same as in January of the previous year.

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

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

In January 2012, the number of employed persons was 2,408,000, which was 2,000 lower than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (± 31,000). The number of employed persons grew in the private sector but fell in the public sector.

In January, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, which was 0.1 percentage point higher than one year earlier. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.9 per cent. Women’s employment rate rose from last year’s January by 0.7 percentage points to 66.6 per cent whereas men’s employment rate fell by 0.5 percentage points to 67.1 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 203,000 unemployed persons in January 2012, which was 12,000 fewer than in January of the year before. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of unemployed persons (± 17,000). The number of unemployed men was 116,000 and that of women 87,000.

At 7.8 per cent, the unemployment rate in January was 0.4 percentage points lower than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent and women’s 6.9 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.5 per cent. This January the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 20.4 per cent, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than in last year’s January. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.9 per cent.

The size of the inactive population grew by 31,000 persons from January 2011.

Changes in employment 2011/01–2012/01 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2011/01 2012/01 2011/01 - 2012/01
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 051 4 068 0,4
Active population total 2 625 2 611 –0,5
Employed 2 410 2 408 –0,1
– employees 2 086 2 080 –0,3
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 324 328 1,1
Unemployed 215 203 –5,6
Inactive population 1 426 1 457 2,2
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 66,8 66,9 0,1
Unemployment rate 8,2 7,8 –0,4
Activity rate 64,8 64,2 –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 January 2012, there were altogether 258,000 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 8,000 lower than in January of the previous year.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all other Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from those of North Karelia (up 3%), Central Finland (2%), and Åland (5%). The number of unemployed job seekers decreased most in Pirkanmaa (-6%), Varsinais-Suomi (-6%) and Häme (-6 %). At the end of January, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 19,000, which was 2,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 108,000 at the end of January, which was 1,000 higher than in January of the year before. Altogether 4.1 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 33,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was the same as in last year’s January. During this January, 60,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 6,000 more than in January 2011.

Changes 2011/01– 2012/01 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2011/01 2012/01 2011/01 - 2012/01
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 266 258 –2,9
– unemployed over a year 59 58 –1,5
Total measures 107 108 1,1
– employed with subsidised measures 35 32 –9,2
– in labour market training 32 27 –14,4
– in trainee and job alternation places 18 20 11,7
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 22 29 31,1
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 54 60 11,5
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +358 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Unemployment decreased in 2011

Labour Force Survey database tables (containing annual averages for 2011)

Labour Force Survey 2010, Time series data 2001–2010

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, January. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori 09 1734 3524, Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, Ari Väisänen 09 1734 2290, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (457.5 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 21.2.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. January 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2012/01/tyti_2012_01_2012-02-21_tie_001_en.html