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Published: 20 January 2015

Unemployment rate 8.8 per cent in December

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in December 2014 was 232,000, which was 27,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 8.8 per cent, having been 7.9 per cent in December of the year before. The number of employed persons was nearly the same as in December of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter (October to December) was 8.4 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2013. The rate of unemployment was, on average, 8.7 per cent in 2014, having been 8.2 per cent in 2013.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/12–2014/12, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/12–2014/12, persons aged 15–74

In December 2014, the number of employed persons was 2,413,000 (margin of error ±33,000), which was slightly more than a year earlier. There were 12,000 more employed men and 9,000 fewer employed women than in December 2013. The number of employed persons increased slightly in the public sector and decreased somewhat in the private sector compared with December 2013.

In December, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.4 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points higher than one year before. The employment rate for men grew by 0.8 percentage points from last year’s December to 68.0 per cent. Women's employment rate was 66.8 per cent and it remained almost unchanged compared with December 2013. 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 232,000 unemployed (margin of error ±18,000) in December 2014, i.e. 27,000 more than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 128,000 and that of women 104,000.

At 8.8 per cent, the unemployment rate in December was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.4 per cent and women’s 8.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent.

In December, there were a total of 649,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 238,000 were employed and 59,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 297,000. 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 19.8 per cent, which was 3.2 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.9 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 9.0 per cent.

There were 1,455,000 persons in the inactive population in December 2014, which was 22,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 138,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 14,000 fewer than in December 2013.

Changes in employment 2013/12 – 2014/12 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2013/12 2014/12 2013/12 - 2014/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 091 4 100 0,2
Active population total 2 615 2 645 1,1
Employed 2 409 2 413 0,1
– employees 2 084 2 061 –1,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 325 351 8,0
Unemployed 205 232 13,0
Inactive population 1 477 1 455 –1,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 151 138 –9,0
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 66,9 67,4 0,5
Unemployment rate 7,9 8,8 0,9
Activity rate 63,9 64,5 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 2014

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the average number of employed persons was 2,418,000, or 5,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2013. The number of employed persons increased most in the industry of administrative and support service activities (N) and decreased in manufacturing (C).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 1.6 per cent higher in the fourth quarter of 2014 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 223,000, which was 20,000 more than in the October to December period of 2013. The unemployment rate in the fourth quarter of 2014 was 8.4 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2013.

In the fourth quarter of 2014, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,459,000, which was 7,000 lower than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 148,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 10,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2013.

Changes in employment 2013/IV – 2014/IV according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Quarter Change
2013/IV 2014/IV 2013/IV - 2014/IV
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 625 2 640 0,6
Employed persons total 2 422 2 418 –0,2
Unemployed total 203 223 9,7
– men 110 126 15,2
– women 93 96 3,1
Inactive population 1 466 1 459 –0,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 137 148 7,6
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey annual averages for 2014

In 2014, the average number of employed persons was 2,447,000, which was 9,000 lower than in 2013. In 2014, the employment rate was 68.3 per cent, having been 68.5 per cent in 2013.

The average rate of unemployment was 8.7 per cent in 2014, having been 8.2 per cent in 2013. In 2014, the average number of unemployed persons was 232,000, which was 13,000 higher than in 2013.

The number of hours worked by employed persons was approximately 0.2 per cent lower in 2014 than in 2013. The amount of labour input per employed person remained almost unchanged.

The annual averages from the Labour Force Survey for the year 2014 are published in the appendix tables of this publication and in the database tables of Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey: http://pxweb2.stat.fi/database/StatFin/Tym/tyti/tyti_en.asp . A general review on annual data concerning 2014 and on time series data for 2005 to 2014 will be released on 28 April 2015.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of December 2014, there were altogether 363,000 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 33,000 higher than in December 2013.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's December in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (16%), Ostrobothnia (12%), Satakunta (11%) and South Ostrobothnia (11%). At the end of December, the number of persons fully laid off registered at the employment and economic development offices was 38,000, which was 4,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 116,000 at the end of December, which was 5,000 more than in December of the previous year. Altogether, 4.4 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 50,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 6,000 higher than in December of the year before. During last December, 30,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 2,000 more than in December 2013.

Changes 2013/12–2014/12 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2013/12 2014/12 2013/12 - 2014/12
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 330 363 10,1
– unemployed over a year 83 99 19,1
Services, total 111 116 4,6
– employed 34 35 1,6
– in labour market training, in training 27 24 –10,3
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 10 9 –3,0
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 41 48 18,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 27 30 8,5
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 2014, December. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kirsi Toivonen 029 551 3535, Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (770.7 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 20.1.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. December 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2014/12/tyti_2014_12_2015-01-20_tie_001_en.html