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Published: 24 April 2014

Unemployment rate 9.5 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in March 2014 was 252,000, which was 16,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.5 per cent, having been 9.0 per cent in March of the year before. The number of employed persons was almost unchanged from the previous year's March. The unemployment rate in the first quarter (January to March) was 9.0 per cent, which was 0.3 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2013.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/03 – 2014/03

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/03 – 2014/03

In March 2014, the number of employed persons was 2,392,000 (margin of error ±31,000), which was almost the same as one year earlier. The number of employed persons grew in the private sector and fell in the public sector compared with March 2013.

In March 2014, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 66.7 per cent, having been 66.6 per cent one year earlier. Men’s employment rate was 66.9 per cent and women’s 66.6 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.4 per cent.

According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 252,000 unemployed (margin of error ±19,000) in March 2014, i.e. 16,000 more than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 133,000 and that of women 119,000.

At 9.5 per cent, the unemployment rate in March was 0.5 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 9.9 per cent and women’s 9.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent.

In March, there were a total of 653,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 222,000 were employed and 79,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 301,000. In March, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 26.3 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 20.8 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 12.1 per cent.

There were 1,450,000 persons in the inactive population in March 2014, which was 8,000 fewer than in March 2013. Of the inactive population, 122,000 persons were in disguised unemployment .

Changes in employment 2013/03 – 2014/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2013/03 2014/03 2013/03 - 2014/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 084 4 093 0,2
Active population total 2 626 2 643 0,6
Employed 2 391 2 392 0,0
– employees 2 067 2 046 –1,0
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 324 346 6,8
Unemployed 236 252 6,8
Inactive population 1 458 1 450 –0,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 116 122 5,3
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 66,6 66,7 0,1
Unemployment rate 9,0 9,5 0,5
Activity rate 64,3 64,6 0,3
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.
The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

Labour Force Survey data for the first quarter of 2014

In the first quarter of 2014, the average number of employed persons was 2,394,000, or 14,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2013. The number of employed persons increased most in the industry of education (P) and decreased in manufacturing (C).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 1.0 per cent lower in the first quarter of 2014 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2014 was 238,000, which was 6,000 more than in the January to March period of 2013. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2014 was 9.0 per cent, which was 0.3 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2013.

In the first quarter of 2014, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,460,000, which was 17,000 higher than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 137,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 21,000 more than in the corresponding period of 2013.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2013/I 2014/I 2013/I - 2014/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 640 2 632 –0,3
Employed persons total 2 408 2 394 –0,6
Unemployed total 232 238 2,8
– men 131 133 1,7
– women 101 105 4,1
Inactive population 1 444 1 460 1,1
– Persons in disguised unemployment 116 137 17,9
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 March 2014, there were altogether 316,000 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 29,000 higher than in last year's March.

Unemployment increased from the previous year's March in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres; most in Uusimaa (19%), Kainuu (17%) and Central Finland (14%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 30,000, which was 5,000 more than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation stage totalled 129,000 at the end of March, which was 22,000 more than in March of the year before. Altogether, 4.9 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.

There were 39,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 2,000 higher than in last year’s March. During this March, 47,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which was 2,000 fewer than in the previous year's March.

Changes 2013/03 – 2014/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2013/03 2014/03 2013/03 - 2014/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 287 316 10,0
– unemployed over a year 68 86 26,6
Services, total 107 129 20,9
– employed 28 36 28,3
– in labour market training, in training 29 33 13,1
– 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 36 47 28,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 49 47 –4,4
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, March. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kirsi Toivonen 09 1734 3535, Anna Pärnänen 09 1734 2607, Tuomas Remes 09 1734 3682, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (648.4 kB)

Tables

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 24.4.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2014. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2014/03/tyti_2014_03_2014-04-24_tie_001_en.html