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Published: 21 May 2013

Unemployment rate 8.8 per cent in April

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in April 2013 was 239,000, which was 13,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 8.8 per cent, having been 8.4 per cent in April of the year before. The number of employed persons was unchanged from April of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/04

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2013/04

In April 2013, the number of employed persons was 2,466,000, which was nearly the same as a year earlier (margin of error ±31,000). There were 6,000 fewer employed men and 4,000 more employed women than in April 2012. The number of employed persons grew in the private sector but fell in the public sector compared with April 2012.

In April, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.7 per cent, which was 0.2 percentage points higher than one year earlier. The employment rate for men fell by 0.1 percentage points from last year’s April to 68.6 per cent. The employment rate for women went up by 0.6 percentage points and was 68.8 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.7 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 239,000 unemployed in April 2013, i.e. 13,000 more than in April of the year before (margin of error ±19 000). The number of unemployed men was 143,000 and that of women 96,000.

At 8.8 per cent, the unemployment rate in April was 0.5 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 10.2 per cent and women’s 7.3 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.2 per cent.

The number of young people aged 15 to 24 was 658,000 in April. Of them, 257,000 per cent were employed and 83,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 339,000. 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 24.4 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.9 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 12.6 per cent.

Changes in employment 2012/04 – 2013/04 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2012/04 2013/04 2012/04 - 2013/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 072 4 084 0,3
Active population total 2 693 2 705 0,4
Employed 2 468 2 466 –0,1
– employees 2 133 2118 –0,7
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 335 348 3,9
Unemployed 226 239 5,8
Inactive population 1 379 1 379 0,1
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 68,5 68,7 0,2
Unemployment rate 8,4 8,8 0,5
Activity rate 66,1 66,2 0,1
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 2013, there were altogether 279,000 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 40,000 higher than in April 2012.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's April in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Varsinais-Suomi (25%), Pirkanmaa (24%) and Uusimaa (22%). At the end of April, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 21,000, which was 5,000 higher than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 109,000 at the end of April, which was 6,000 fewer than in April of the year before. Altogether, 4.0 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 35,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 7,000 higher than in last year's April. During this April, 46,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 3,000 fewer than in April 2012.

Changes 2012/04 – 2013/04 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2012/04 2013/04 2012/04 - 2013/04
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 239 279 16,8
– unemployed over a year 60 69 16,7
Services, total 115 109 –4,9
– employed 32 29 –6,9
– in labour market training, in training 31 30 –4,0
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 15 13 –10,6
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 38 37 –1,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 48 46 –5,7
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Labour Force Survey tables in databases

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

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://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu

Job vacancy survey


Source: Labour force survey 2013, April. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, Joanna Viinikka 09 1734 3796, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

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Updated 21.5.2013

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. April 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2013/04/tyti_2013_04_2013-05-21_tie_001_en.html