Unemployment rate 8.4 per cent in February

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in February was 221,000, which is 21,000 lower than one year ago. At 8.4 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than one year earlier. There were 27,000 more employed persons than in February of the previous year.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 – 2011/02

In February 2011, the number of employed persons was 2,425,000, which was 27,000 higher than a year earlier. This change fits within the margin of error for the number of employed persons (± 30,000). The number of employed men grew, but that of employed women fell slightly. The number of wage and salary earners increased, whereas that of self-employed persons stayed unchanged. Employment grew in the areas of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) of Southern and Northern Finland.

In February, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 67.1 per cent, which was 0.8 percentage points higher than one year previously. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.2 per cent. Men’s employment rate was 68.2 per cent and women’s 66.1 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 221,000 unemployed in February 2011, i.e. 21,000 fewer than in February of the year before.

At 8.4 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower in February than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate was 8.0 per cent and it has been at that level for the last six months. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.7 per cent and women’s 8.0 per cent. In February the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 21.3 per cent, which was 4.4 percentage points lower than in the previous year’s February. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people fell to 19.7 per cent. The unemployment rate was lowest in the area of Southern Finland AVI.

Changes in the active population 2010/02 – 2011/02 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

	Year/Month		Change
	2010/02	2011/02	2010/02 - 2011/02
	1000 persons		Per cent, %
Population total	4 037	4 053	0,4
Active population, total	2 641	2 647	0,2
Employed, total	2 399	2 425	1,1
– employees	2 064	2 091	1,3
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers	335	334	–0,3
Unemployed persons	242	221	–8,5
Inactive population	1 397	1 407	0,7
	Per cent, %		Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64	66,4	67,1	0,8
Unemployment rate	9,2	8,4	–0,8
Activity rate	65,4	65,3	–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 February 2011, there were altogether 259,000 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 26,000 lower than in February 2010.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). The number of unemployed job seekers declined most in Ostrobothnia (-17%), South Ostrobothnia (-16%), Pirkanmaa (-12%) and North Savo (-12%). At the end of February, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 22,000, which was 11,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 112,000 at the end of February, which was 18,000 more than in February of the year before. Altogether 4.2 per cent of the active population was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 31,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 6,000 lower than in the previous year's February. During this February, 59,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 11,000 more than in February 2010.

Changes 2010/02– 2011/02 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

	Year/Month		Change
	2010/02	2011/02	2010/02- 2011/02
	1000 persons		Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers	285	259	–9,3
– unemployed over a year	50	58	15,4
Total measures	94	112	19,5
– employed with subsidised measures	31	36	16,8
– in labour market training	34	34	2,8
– in trainee and job alternation places	20	19	–2,6
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit)	10	23	127,4
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices	49	59	22,2
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +359 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Updated tables of the Labour Force Survey: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/tau_en.html

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment and unemployment in 2010: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2010/tyti_2010_2011-02-15_tie_001_en.html

Labour force survey 2009, Time series data 2000-2009: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2009/17/tyti_2009_17_2010-12-03_tie_001_en.html

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: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/tramo_seats_en.html

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: http://tilastokeskus.fi/til/atp/index_en.html

Source: Labour force survey 2011, February. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, Veli Rajaniemi (09) 1734 3434, Ari Väisänen (09) 1734 2290, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (25 pages 457.5 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Labour force survey (8 tables)

Appendix tables

Figures

Appendix figure 1. Employed and trend of employed (22.3.2011)
Appendix figure 2. Employment rate and trend of employment rate (22.3.2011)
Appendix figure 3. Unemployed and trend of unemployed (22.3.2011)
Appendix figure 4. Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate (22.3.2011)

Quality descriptions

Quality Description: Labour force survey (22.3.2011)

Updated 22.3.2011

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. February 2011. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.5.2013].
Access method: http://www.tilastokeskus.fi/til/tyti/2011/02/tyti_2011_02_2011-03-22_tie_001_en.html.

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