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Published: 23 April 2015

Unemployment rate 10.3 per cent in March

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in March 2015 was 272,000, which was 21,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 10.3 per cent, having been 9.5 per cent in March of the year before. There were 10,000 fewer employed than in March of the previous year. The unemployment rate in the first quarter (January to March) was 9.7 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective quarter of 2014.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/03–2015/03, persons aged 15–74

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/03–2015/03, persons aged 15–74

In March 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,382,000, which was 10,000 lower than a year earlier (margin of error ±32,000). There were 8,000 more employed men and 17,000 fewer employed women than in March 2014. The number of employed persons decreased in the private sector and grew in the public sector compared with March 2014.

In March, the employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, was 66.8 per cent, which was the same as one year earlier. The employment rate for men grew by 0.7 percentage points from last year’s March to 67.6 per cent. The employment rate for women fell by 0.6 percentage points to 66.0 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 272,000 unemployed in March 2015, i.e. 21,000 more than one year earlier (margin of error ±19,000). The number of unemployed men was 156,000 and that of women 117,000.

At 10.3 per cent, the unemployment rate in March was 0.7 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 11.3 per cent and women’s 9.2 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.4 per cent.

In March, there were a total of 647,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 232,000 were employed and 89,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 320,000. 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 27.7 per cent, which was 1.4 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.7 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 13.7 per cent.

There were 1,445,000 persons in the inactive population in March 2015, which was 4,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 130,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 8,000 more than in March 2014.

Changes in employment 2014/03 – 2015/03 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2014/03 2015/03 2014/03 - 2015/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 093 4 099 0,2
Active population total 2 643 2 654 0,4
Employed 2 392 2 382 –0,4
– employees 2 046 2 031 –0,7
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 346 351 1,5
Unemployed 252 272 8,2
Inactive population 1 450 1 445 –0,3
– Persons in disguised unemployment 122 130 6,6
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 66,7 66,8 0,0
Unemployment rate 9,5 10,3 0,7
Activity rate 64,6 64,7 0,2
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 2015

In the first quarter of 2015, the average number of employed persons was 2,391,000, or 3,000 fewer than in the corresponding quarter of 2014. The number of employed persons increased most in the industries of information and communication activities (J) and administrative and support service activities (N), and decreased in manufacturing (C).

The number of hours worked by employed persons was 1.1 per cent lower in the first quarter of 2015 than twelve months previously.

The average number of unemployed persons in the first quarter of 2015 was 257,000, which was 19,000 more than in the January to March period of 2014. The unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2015 was 9.7 per cent, which was 0.7 percentage points higher than in the respective period of 2014.

In the first quarter of 2015, the number of persons in the inactive population was 1,452,000, which was 8,000 lower than a year earlier. Of the inactive population, 132,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was 5,000 fewer than in the corresponding period of 2014.

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

  Year/Quarter Change
2014/I 2015/I 2014/I - 2015/I
1000 persons Per cent (%)
Active population total 2 632 2 648 0,6
Employed persons total 2 394 2 391 –0,1
Unemployed total 238 257 7,9
– men 133 144 7,9
– women 105 113 8,0
Inactive population 1 460 1 452 –0,5
– Persons in disguised unemployment 137 132 –3,6
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 March 2015, there were altogether 347,000 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 31,000 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 except for Kainuu (-1%); most in Uusimaa (15%), Ostrobothnia (13%), Satakunta (12%), North Savo (12%) and South Ostrobothnia (10%). At the end of March, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 32,000, which was 3,000 more than twelve months earlier.

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

There were 44,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 5,000 higher than in last year’s March. During this March, 52,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 6,000 more than in March 2014.

Changes 2014/03 – 2015/03 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2014/03 2015/03 2014/03 – 2015/03
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 1) 316 347 9,9
– unemployed over a year 86 103 19,6
Services, total 129 129 0,1
– employed 36 33 –9,8
– in labour market training, in training 33 28 –14,5
– in trainee places, engaged in work/training trials 13 13 1,6
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit 47 55 17,6
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 47 52 12,8
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: Law reform 1 January 2013
Change in the lay-off procedure 1 July 2013

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Petri Syvänen tel. +358 29 504 8050, 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 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 vacancies

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, March. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Pertti Taskinen 029 551 2690, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Tables

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Appendix tables

Figures
Quality descriptions

Updated 23.04.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. March 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/03/tyti_2015_03_2015-04-23_tie_001_en.html