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Published: 20 October 2015

Unemployment rate 8.4 per cent in September

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, there were 225,000 unemployed in September 2015. The number of unemployed persons was 7,000 higher in September than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 8.4 per cent, having been 8.2 per cent in September of the year before. There were 5,000 more employed than in September of the previous year. The rate of unemployment was 8.4 per cent in the third quarter (July to September), having been 7.5 per cent in the respective quarter of 2014.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/09–2015/09, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/09–2015/09, persons aged 15–74

In September 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,452,000, which was 5,000 higher than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 15,000 more employed men and 10,000 fewer employed women than in September 2014.

In September, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.8 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than one year before. The employment rate for men rose by 1.4 percentage points to 69.8 per cent. Women’s unemployment rate was almost unchanged and stood at 67.9 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 225,000 unemployed in September 2015, i.e. 7,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±18,000). The number of unemployed men was 114,000 and that of women 111,000. There were 12,000 more unemployed women and 4,000 fewer unemployed men compared with September 2014.

At 8.4 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.2 percentage points higher in September than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent and women’s 8.6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.3 per cent.

In September, there were a total of 642,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 242,000 were employed and 53,000 were unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 295,000. In September, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 17.9 per cent, which was the same as one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 22.1 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 8.2 per cent.

There were 1,424,000 persons in the inactive population in September 2015, which was 8,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 156,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 7,000 more than in September 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/09 – 2015/09 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2014/09 2015/09 2014/09 - 2015/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 097 4 102 0,1
Active population total 2 665 2 678 0,5
Employed 2 447 2 452 0,2
– employees 2 097 2 105 0,4
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 350 347 –1,0
Unemployed 218 225 3,4
Inactive population 1 432 1 424 –0,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 149 156 4,7
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,2 68,8 0,7
Unemployment rate 8,2 8,4 0,2
Activity rate 65,0 65,3 0,2
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the third quarter of 2015

In the third quarter of 2015, there were on average 2,481,000 employed persons . There were 6,000 fewer employed persons than in the corresponding period in 2014. The number of employed persons increased most in information and communication activities (J) and decreased most in wholesale and retail trade (G).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was around 0.6 per cent higher in the third quarter of 2015 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the third quarter of 2015 was 226,000, which was 24,000 more than in the July to September period of 2014. The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2015 was 8.4 per cent. The unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points higher than in the corresponding period in 2014.

In the third quarter of 2015, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,393,000, which was 13,000 fewer than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 149,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 8,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2014.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2014/III 2015/III 2014/III - 2015/III
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 690 2 708 0,7
Employed persons total 2 487 2 481 –0,2
Unemployed total 203 226 11,7
– men 110 118 7,8
– women 93 108 16,4
Inactive population 1 406 1 393 –1,0
– Persons in disguised unemployment 141 149 5,6
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 September 2015, there were altogether 337,000 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 23,000 higher than in September 2014.

The number of unemployed job seekers increased in September from the corresponding period in 2014 in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from Kainuu (–5%): most in Uusimaa (13%), North Savo (10%), South Savo (10%) and South Ostrobothnia (10%). At the end of September, the number of persons fully laid off registered at the employment and economic development offices was 20,000, which was the same number as twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 118,000 at the end of September, which was 9,000 fewer than in September of the previous year. Altogether, 4.4 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 45,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 3,000 higher than in last year’s September. During this September, 38,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was almost the same as in September 2014.

Changes 2014/09 – 2015/09 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2014/09 2015/09 2014/09 – 2015/09
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 315 337 7,3
– unemployed over a year 93 113 22,0
Services, total 128 118 –7,3
– employed 39 23 –40,8
– in labour market training, in training 28 25 –12,3
– engaged in work/training trials 11 12 11,2
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 50 59 17,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 38 38 –1,1
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:
Johanna Alatalo tel. +358 29 504 8084, 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, September. Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

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Quality descriptions

Updated 20.10.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. September 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/09/tyti_2015_09_2015-10-20_tie_001_en.html