Unemployment rate 6,9 per cent in July

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in July 2012 was 192,000, i.e. the same as one year ago. The rate of unemployment was 6.9 per cent. There were 32,000 more employed than in July of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01–2012/07

In July 2012, the number of employed persons was 2,610,000, which was 32,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ± 30,000). There were 12,000 more employed men and 20,000 more employed women than in July 2011.The number of part-time employed was 32,000 higher than one year earlier. The number of both employees and self-employed increased.

In July, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 72.7 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year previously. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 69.3 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 192,000 unemployed in July 2012, i.e. the same as in July of the year before. The number of unemployed men was 98,000 and that of women 94,000.

At 6.9 per cent, the unemployment rate in July was nearly the same as one year before. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.5 per cent. The unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 11.7 per cent in July, which was two percentage points lower than in the previous year’s July. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 17.9 per cent.

The number of women in the inactive population decreased by 19,000 persons from July 2011.

Changes in employment 2011/07–2012/07 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

	Year/Month		Change
	2011/07	2012/07	2011/07 - 2012/07
	1000 persons		Per cent, %
Population total	4 059	4 075	0,4
Active population total	2 770	2 802	1,2
Employed	2 578	2 610	1,2
– employees	2 252	2 270	0,8
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers	326	340	4,3
Unemployed	192	192	0,2
Inactive population	1 289	1 273	–1,3
	Per cent, %		Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64	71,8	72,7	0,9
Unemployment rate	6,9	6,9	–0,1
Activity rate	68,2	68,8	0,5
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 July 2012, there were altogether 274,000 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 higher than in last year's July.

Unemployment decreased from July of the previous year only in the areas of the Employment and Economic Development (ELY) Centres of North Savo (-3%) and Satakunta (-2%). The number of unemployed job seekers grew by most in North Karelia (7%), South Savo (5%), Lapland (5%) and Åland (7%). At the end of July, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 12,000, which was 1,000 more than twelve months earlier.

At the end of July, the number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 92,000, which was 1,000 higher than in July of the previous year. Altogether 3.3 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 40,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 3,000 higher than in July of the year before. During this July, 31,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 fewer than in July 2011.

Changes 2011/07– 2012/07 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

	Year/Month		Change
	2011/07	2012/07	2011/07 - 2012/07
	1000 persons		Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers	266	274	2,9
– unemployed over a year	58	63	7,5
Total measures	91	92	1,1
– employed with subsidised measures	34	30	–13,8
– in labour market training	21	20	–2,3
– in trainee and job alternation places	16	18	7,8
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit)	20	25	25,0
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices	32	31	–1,9
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

Employment improved in 2011

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, July. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori 09 1734 3524, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (25 pages 456.5 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Labour force survey (8 tables)

Appendix tables

Figures

Appendix figure 1. Employed and trend of employed (21.8.2012)
Appendix figure 2. Employment rate and trend of employment rate (21.8.2012)
Appendix figure 3. Unemployed and trend of unemployed (21.8.2012)
Appendix figure 4. Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate (21.8.2012)

Quality descriptions

Quality Description: Labour force survey (21.8.2012)

Updated 21.8.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. July 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.5.2013].
Access method: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2012/07/tyti_2012_07_2012-08-21_tie_001_en.html.

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