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Published: 24 April 2012

Unemployment rate 8.5 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in March was 227,000, which was 18,000 lower than one year ago. In March 2012, the unemployment rate was 8.5 per cent, having been 9.3 per cent in March of the year before. There were 43,000 more employed persons than in March of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the first quarter (January to March) was 8 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than in the respective quarter of 2011.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2012/03

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2012/03

In March 2012, the number of employed persons was 2,431,000, which was 43,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ± 31,000). There were 12,000 more employed men and 32,000 more employed women than in March 2011. The numbers of both employees and self-employed persons grew.

In March, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.6 per cent, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 69 per cent. From March of the previous year, women’s employment rate rose by 1.8 percentage points to 66.7 per cent and men’s by 0.7 percentage points to 68.6 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 227,000 unemployed in March 2012, i.e. 18,000 fewer than in March of the year before (margin of error ± 17,000). The number of unemployed men was 127,000 and that of women 101,000.

At 8.5 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower in March than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent and women’s 7.9 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.5 per cent. This March, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 24 per cent, which was 3.7 percentage points lower than in March of the year before. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.3 per cent.

Changes in employment 2011/03 – 2012/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2011/03 2012/03 2011/03 - 2012/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 054 4 071 0,4
Active population total 2 633 2 658 1,0
Employed 2 388 2 431 1,8
– employees 2 060 2 092 1,6
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 328 339 3,5
Unemployed 245 227 –7,2
Inactive population 1 422 1 412 –0,6
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 66,4 67,6 1,3
Unemployment rate 9,3 8,5 –0,8
Activity rate 64,9 65,3 0,4
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 2012

In the first quarter of 2012, the average number of employed persons was 2,432,000, or 25,000 higher than in the corresponding quarter of 2011. The number of employed persons increased most in human health and social work activities and decreased in education.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2012 was 211,000, which was 16,000 lower than in the January to March period of 2011. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of the year was 8 per cent, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than in the respective period of 2011.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 3.2 per cent higher in the first quarter of 2012 than twelve months previously.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2011/I 2012/I 2011/I - 2012/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 635 2 644 0,3
Employed persons total 2 408 2 432 1,0
Unemployed total 227 211 –6,9
– men 127 120 –5,3
– women 100 91 –8,9
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 March 2012, there were altogether 246,000 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 1,000 lower than in March 2011.

Unemployment decreased from March of the previous year in the areas of eight Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY); by most in Pirkanmaa (–5%), Kainuu (–5%), Varsinais-Suomi (–4%), Satakunta (–4%) and Häme (–4%). The number of unemployed job seekers grew by most in North Karelia (10%), Central Finland (3%), Lapland (3%), Southeastern Finland (3%) and Åland (8%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 19,000, which was 1,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The total number of persons covered by labour market policy measures was115,000 at the end of March, which was 1,000 lower than in March of the year before. Altogether 4.3 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 30,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 1,000 higher than in last year’s March. During this March, 54,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 6,000 fewer than in March 2011.

Changes 2011/03– 2012/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2011/03 2012/03 2011/03 - 2012/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 248 246 –0,6
– unemployed over a year 57 59 2,3
Total measures 116 115 –0,7
– employed with subsidised measures 36 32 –12,8
– in labour market training 37 32 –13,8
– in trainee and job alternation places 20 22 10,8
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 23 30 29,0
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 60 54 –9,6
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:

Petri Syvänen, tel. +358 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Employment improved in 2011

Labour Force Survey tables in databases (containing annual averages for 2011)

Labour Force Survey – 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, March. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Ari Väisänen 09 1734 2290, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Kalle Sinivuori 09 1734 3524, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (635.3 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 24.4.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2012. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2012/03/tyti_2012_03_2012-04-24_tie_001_en.html