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Published: 27 January 2016

Unemployment rate 9.2 per cent in December

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in December 2015 was 241,000, which was 9,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent, having been 8.8 per cent in December of the year before. There were 25,000 fewer employed than in December of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter (October to December) was 8.7 per cent, which was 0.3 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2014. In 2015, the unemployment rate was on average 9.4 per cent, having been 8.7 per cent in 2014.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/12–2015/12, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/12–2015/12, persons aged 15–74

In December 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,387,000 (margin of error ±32,000), which was 25,000 lower than a year earlier. There were 13,000 fewer employed men and 12,000 fewer employed women than in December 2014.

In December 2015, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, having been 67.4 per cent one year earlier. From last year’s December, men’s employment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points to 67.7 per cent and women’s by 0.6 percentage points to 66.2 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.3 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 241,000 unemployed in December 2015 (margin of error ±18,000), i.e. 9,000 more than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 129,000 and that of women 112,000.

At 9.2 per cent, the unemployment rate in December was 0.4 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.5 per cent and women’s 8.8 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.4 per cent.

In December, there were a total of 641,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 223,000 were employed and 53,000 were unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 276,000. In December, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 19.2 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.4 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 8.3 per cent.

There were 1,481,000 persons in the inactive population in December 2015, which was 26,000 more than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 154,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 16,000 more than in December 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/12 – 2015/12 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2014/12 2015/12 2014/12 - 2015/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 100 4 109 0,2
Active population total 2 645 2 628 –0,6
Employed 2 413 2 387 –1,0
– employees 2 061 2 045 –0,8
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 351 342 –2,6
Unemployed 232 241 3,8
Inactive population 1 455 1 481 1,8
– Persons in disguised unemployment 138 154 11,9
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,4 66,9 –0,5
Unemployment rate 8,8 9,2 0,4
Activity rate 64,5 64,0 –0,6
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the fourth quarter of 2015

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the average number of employed persons was 2,412,000, or 6,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2014. The number of employed persons increased most in construction (F) and decreased in education (P).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 0.7 per cent lower in the fourth quarter of 2015 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the fourth quarter of 2015 was 230,000, which was 8,000 more than in the October to December period of 2014. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2015 was 8.7 per cent, which was 0.3 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2014.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,465,000, which was 6,000 higher than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 157,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 9,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/IV – 2015/IV according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Quarter Change
2014/IV 2015/IV 2014/IV - 2015/IV
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 640 2 643 0,1
Employed persons total 2 418 2 412 –0,2
Unemployed total 223 230 3,5
– men 126 126 –0,2
– women 96 104 8,3
Inactive population 1 459 1 465 0,4
– Persons in disguised unemployment 148 157 6,1
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey annual averages for 2015

In 2015, the average number of employed persons was 2,437,000, which was 10,000 lower than in 2014. In 2015, the employment rate was 68.1 per cent, having been 68.3 per cent in 2014.

The average rate of unemployment was 9.4 per cent in 2015, having been 8.7 per cent in 2014. In 2015, the average number of unemployed persons was 252,000, which was 20,000 higher than in 2014.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was approximately 0.2 per cent lower in 2015 than in 2014. The amount of labour input per employed person remained almost unchanged.

The annual averages from the Labour Force Survey for the year 2015 are published in the appendix tables of this publication and in the database tables of Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey . A general review on annual data concerning 2015 and on time series data for 2006 to 2015 will be released on 12 April 2016.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of December 2015, there were altogether 378,000 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 15,000 higher than in December 2014.

Unemployment fell in December from the corresponding period in 2014 in the areas of three Employment and Economic Development Centres: in Kainuu (–6%), North Ostrobothnia (–0%) and Lapland (–0%). In the areas of all other Employment and Economic Development Centres, unemployment increased: most in Uusimaa (9%), South Savo (6%) and Southeast Finland (6%). At the end of December, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 35,000, which was 3,000 fewer than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 108,000 at the end of December, which was 9,000 lower than in December of the previous year. Altogether, 4.1 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 52,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 2,000 higher than in December of the year before. During last December, 35,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 6,000 more than in December 2014.

Changes 2014/12–2015/12 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2014/12 2015/12 2014/12 - 2015/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 363 378 4,0
– unemployed over a year 99 118 19,9
Services, total 116 108 –7,5
– employed 35 19 –45,4
– in labour market training, in training 24 21 –11,7
– engaged in work/training trials 9 11 16,3
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 48 57 17,4
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 30 35 18,9
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
1) The law reform that entered into force at the beginning of 2013 and the change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July increase the number of unemployed job seekers somewhat.

Links: Law reform 1 January 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure 1 July 2013

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
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 statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

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


Source: Labour force survey 2015, December. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (743.4 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 27.1.2016

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. December 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/12/tyti_2015_12_2016-01-27_tie_001_en.html