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Published: 27 April 2017

Unemployment rate 9.6 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in March 2017 was 260,000, which was 14,000 fewer than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent in the first quarter (January to March), having been 9.6 per cent in the respective quarter of 2016. There were 19,000 more employed than in March of the previous year. The unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent in the first quarter (January to March), having been 9.6 per cent in the respective quarter of 2016.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2007/03–2017/03, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2007/03–2017/03, persons aged 15–74

In March 2017, the number of employed persons was 2,439,000 (margin of error ±33,000), which was 19,000 more than a year earlier. There were 7,000 less employed men and 26,000 more employed women than in March 2016.

In March, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.8 per cent, having been 68.0 per cent one year earlier. From last year’s March, men’s employment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 69.1 per cent and women’s increased by 1.9 percentage points to 68.5 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 69.2 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 260,000 (margin of error ±19,000) unemployed in March 2017, i.e. 14,000 fewer than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 149,000 and that of women 111,000.

At 9.6 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.5 percentage points lower in March than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 10.7 per cent and women’s 8.5 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.7 per cent.

In March, there were a total of 632,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 243,000 were employed and 76,000 were unemployed. The number of young people in the active population, i.e. the employed and unemployed in total, was 320,000. In March, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 23.9 per cent, which was almost the same as one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.0 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 12.1 per cent.

There were 1,410,000 persons in the inactive population in March 2017, which was 6,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 125,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was slightly fewer than in March 2016.

Changes in employment 2016/03 – 2017/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2016/03 2017/03 2016/03 - 2017/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 110 4 109 0,0
Active population total 2 694 2 699 0,2
Employed 2 420 2 439 0,8
– employees 2 082 2 119 1,8
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 339 320 –5,4
Unemployed 273 260 –5,0
Inactive population 1 416 1 410 –0,4
– Persons in disguised unemployment 127 125 –1,5
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,0 68,8 0,8
Unemployment rate 10,1 9,6 –0,5
Activity rate 65,6 65,7 0,1
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the first quarter of 2017

In the first quarter of 2017, the average number of employed persons was 2,407,000, or 11,000 higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2016. The number of employed persons increased most in professional, scientific and technical activities (M).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 4.9 per cent higher in the first quarter of 2017 than twelve months previously. There were three working days more in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the January to March period in 2016.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2017 was 248,000, which was 7,000 fewer than in the January to March period of 2016. The unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, having been 9.6 per cent in the respective quarter of 2016.

In the first quarter of 2017, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,454,000, which was 5,000 fewer than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 149,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 5,000 fewer than in the corresponding period of 2016.

Changes in employment 2016/I – 2017/I according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Quarter Change
2016/I 2017/I 2016/I - 2017/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 651 2 655 0,1
Employed persons total 2 396 2 407 0,4
Unemployed total 255 248 –2,8
– men 140 136 –2,6
– women 115 112 –3,2
Inactive population 1 459 1 454 –0,3
– Persons in disguised unemployment 153 149 –3,0
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

At the end of March 2017, there were altogether 317,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as unemployed job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 34,000 lower than in March 2016.

Unemployment fell in March from the corresponding period in 2016 in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres: most in Kainuu (–17%), Pirkanmaa (–16%), South Ostrobothnia (–14%), and Central Finland (–13%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was 8,000 fewer than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 127,000 at the end of March, which was 3,000 more than in March of the year before. Altogether, 4.7 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 39,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 6,000 lower than in last year’s March. During this March, 60,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 8,000 more than in March 2016.

Changes 2016/03–2017/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

  Year/Month Change
2016/03 2017/03 2016/03 - 2017/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 351 317 –9,6
– unemployed over a year 123 112 –8,5
Services, total 124 127 2,2
– employed 21 23 9,9
– in labour market training, in training 24 24 –1,8
– engaged in work/training trials 14 13 –8,1
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 65 67 3,5
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 52 60 14,4
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment:
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 employment statistics of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment

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


Source: Labour force survey 2017, March. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Ulla Hannula 029 551 2924, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 27.04.2017

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2017. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2017/03/tyti_2017_03_2017-04-27_tie_001_en.html