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Published: 26 May 2009

Unemployment rate 8,8 per cent in April

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in April 2009 was 2 432 000, or 69 000 lower than a year earlier. The number of wage and salary earners decreased, whereas that of self-employed persons stayed unchanged. The number of employed persons fell in all provinces except the Province of Lapland.

In April 2009, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67,6 per cent, which was 2,4 percentage points lower than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate fell to 68,9 per cent. At its highest, roughly one year ago, the trend of the employment rate was 70,8 per cent. Employment rate fell for both men and women; men’s employment rate fell by 3,2 percentage points to 68,3 per cent and that for women by 1,5 percentage points to 67,0 per cent. Examined by age group, employment rates fell among the 15 to 54-year-olds, but remained unchanged among the 55 to 64-year-olds.

Changes in the labour force 2009/04 – 2008/04 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, thousand persons

  2009/04 2008/04 Change, %
2009/04 - 2008/04
Population aged 15-74 4 021 3 999 0,5
Labour force, total 2 665 2 666 0,0
Employed, total 2 432 2 501 –2,8
– employees 2 115 2 183 –3,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 317 318 –0,1
Unemployed persons 233 165 41,3
Total persons not in labour force 1 355 1 333 1,7
      Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), % 67,6 70,0 –2,4
Unemployment rate, % 8,8 6,2 2,6
Labour force participation rate, % 66,3 66,7 –0,4
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.		      

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 233 000 unemployed in April 2009, i.e. 68 000 more than in April of the year before. At 8,8 per cent, the unemployment rate was 2,6 percentage points higher in April than one year earlier. In April 2009 the number of unemployed persons and the unemployment rate were on level with three years ago, that is April 2006.

Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the unemployment rate rose to 8,2 per cent in April. At its lowest, roughly one year ago, the trend of the unemployment rate was 6,2 per cent. The unemployment rate for men rose by 3,3 percentage points to 9,5 per cent, and that of women by 1,8 percentage points to 8,0 per cent. Unemployment rate was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, where it stood at 7,7 per cent, and highest, at 13,4 per cent, in the Province of Eastern Finland. In April 2008, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 23,7 per cent, which was 6,2 percentage points higher than in the previous year’s April. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people rose to 18,5 per cent. The unemployment rate of young people is pushed up in spring by students who enter the labour market (graduation and seeking summer jobs). The unemployment rate of young people usually returns close to the average level of the year in June. In April-May the level of unemployment among young people should be estimated primarily on the basis of the trend adjusted for seasonal and random variation, from which the seasonal variation repeating from year to year have been removed.

The number of persons not in the labour force was 23 000 higher in April than twelve months earlier.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of April 2009, there were altogether 252 000 persons registered, in accordance with the Unemployment Security Act and the Employment Office Regulations, as job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 59 000 higher than in April 2008. Unemployment grew from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres. The number of unemployed job-seekers increased most in South Ostrobothnia (49%), Pirkanmaa (42%), Häme (39%) and Ostrobothnia (39%). At the end of April, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 36 000, which was 29 000 higher than twelve months earlier. The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 85 000 the end of April, which was 1 000 fewer than in April of the year before. Altogether 3,2 per cent of the labour force were covered by labour market policy measures. There were 29 000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 11 000 higher than in last year's April. During this April, 39 000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 15 000 fewer than in April 2008.

Changes 2009/04 – 2008/04 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, thousand persons

  2009/04 2008/04 Change, %
2009/04 - 2008/04
Unemployed job seekers 252 192 30,9
– unemployed over a year 40 45 –11,2
Total measures 85 87 –1,7
– employed with subsidised measures 35 37 –4,6
– in labour market training 33 32 3,5
– in trainee and job alternation places 18 18 –4,9
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 39 54 –28,3
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.

Latest release on the number of job vacancies: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/atp/index_en.html


Source: Labour force survey 2009, April. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, Veli Rajaniemi (09) 1734 3434, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 26.05.2009

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. April 2009. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2009/04/tyti_2009_04_2009-05-26_tie_001_en.html