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Published: 27 May 2015

Unemployment rate 10.3 per cent in April

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in April 2015 was 280,000, which was 39,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 10.3 per cent, having been 9.0 per cent in April of the year before. There were 19,000 fewer employed persons than in April of the previous year. The number of persons in the inactive population was 14,000 lower than one year earlier.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/04–2015/04, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/04–2015/04, persons aged 15–74

In April 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,429,000, which was 19,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±33,000). There were almost the same number of employed men and 21,000 fewer employed women than in April 2014.

In April, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.7 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage points lower than one year earlier. The employment rate of men remained unchanged at 67.6 per cent and that of women declined by 1.1 percentage points to 67.9 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.1 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 280,000 unemployed in April 2015, i.e. 39,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±20,000). The number of unemployed men was 155,000 and that of women 125,000. The number of unemployed women grew by 26,000 and of unemployed men by 13,000.

At 10.3 per cent, the unemployment rate in April was 1.4 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 11.1 per cent and women’s 9.5 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.6 per cent.

The number of young people aged 15 to 24 was 646,000 in April. Of them, 233,000 were employed and 93,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 326,000. In April, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 28.6 per cent, which was 3.0 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 22.8 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 14.4 per cent.

There were 1,391,000 persons in the inactive population in April 2015, which was 14,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 123,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 7,000 more than in April 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/04–2015/04 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2014/04 2015/04 2014/04 - 2015/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 094 4 099 0,1
Active population total 2 689 2 708 0,7
Employed 2 448 2 429 –0,8
– employees 2 093 2 053 –1,9
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 355 375 5,7
Unemployed 241 280 16,2
Inactive population 1 405 1 391 –1,0
– Persons in disguised unemployment 115 123 6,4
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,3 67,7 –0,5
Unemployment rate 9,0 10,3 1,4
Activity rate 65,7 66,1 0,4
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 April 2015, there were altogether 339,000 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 31,000 higher than in April 2014.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's April in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (15%), North Savo (14%), Ostrobothnia (12%), and South Ostrobothnia (12%). At the end of April, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 28,000, which was 2,000 higher than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 129,000 at the end of April, which was 1,000 fewer than in April of the year before. Altogether, 4.8 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 42,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 5,000 higher than in last year's April. During this April, 44,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was the same amount as in April 2014.

Changes 2014/04–2015/04 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2014/04 2015/04 2014/04 - 2015/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 307 339 10,2
– unemployed over a year 87 104 19,8
Services, total 130 129 –0,5
– employed 38 33 –13,4
– in labour market training, in training 32 27 –13,3
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 13 13 –0,8
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 47 55 18,0
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 43 44 0,6
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 employment 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 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 2015, April. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (450.5 kB)

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Appendix tables

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Quality descriptions

Updated 27.5.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. April 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/04/tyti_2015_04_2015-05-27_tie_001_en.html