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Published: 25 March 2014

Unemployment rate 9.1 per cent in February

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in February 2014 was 241,000, which was 10,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.1 per cent, having been 8.7 per cent in February of the year before. There were 26,000 fewer employed persons than in February of the previous year. The number of persons in the inactive population was 25,000 higher in February 2014 than one year earlier.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/02 – 2014/02

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/02 – 2014/02

In February 2014, the number of employed persons was 2,405,000, which was 26,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were slightly more employed men and 28,000 fewer employed women than in February 2013. The number of employed persons decreased in the private sector and grew slightly in the public sector compared with February 2013.

In February 2014, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.9 per cent, having been 67.6 per cent one year earlier. Men’s employment rate was 67.3 per cent and women’s 66.5 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 241,000 unemployed in February 2014, i.e. 10,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±17,000). The number of unemployed men was 138,000 and that of women 103,000.

At 9.1 per cent, the unemployment rate in February was 0.4 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 10.1 per cent and women’s 8.1 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.5 per cent.

In February, there were a total of 654,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 238,000 were employed and 71,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 309,000. In February, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 22.9 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.3 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 10.8 per cent.

There were 1,446,000 persons in the inactive population in February 2014, which was 25,000 more than in February 2013. Of the inactive population, 135,000 persons were in disguised unemployment .

Changes in employment 2013/02 – 2014/02 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2013/02 2014/02 2013/02 - 2014/02
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 084 4 093 0,2
Active population total 2 663 2 647 –0,6
Employed 2 432 2 405 –1,1
– employees 2 114 2 082 –1,5
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 317 323 2,0
Unemployed 231 241 4,3
Inactive population 1 421 1 446 1,8
– Persons in disguised unemployment 120 135 12,4
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 67,6 66,9 –0,7
Unemployment rate 8,7 9,1 0,4
Activity rate 65,2 64,7 –0,5
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 February 2014, there were altogether 324,000 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 February 2013.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's February in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres: most in Uusimaa (19%), Kainuu (15%), Pirkanmaa (14%) and Central Finland (14%). At the end of February, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 32,000, which was 6,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 123,000 at the end of February, which was 19,000 higher than in February of the year before. Altogether, 4.6 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 41,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 3,000 higher than in February of the year before. During this February, 54,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 2,000 fewer than in February 2013.

Changes 2013/02 – 2014/02 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2013/02 2014/02 2013/02 - 2014/02
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 291 324 11,3
– unemployed over a year 67 86 27,7
Services, total 104 123 18,4
– employed 28 35 26,4
– in labour market training, in training 27 30 8,4
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 13 12 –5,1
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 35 45 28,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 56 54 –3,8
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: Legislative amendment on 1 Jan. 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July 2013

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 2014, February. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Veli Rajaniemi 09 1734 3434, Tuomas Remes 09 1734 3682, Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

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Updated 25.3.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. February 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2014/02/tyti_2014_02_2014-03-25_tie_001_en.html