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Published: 20 September 2011

Unemployment rate 6.6 per cent in August

According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in August was 177,000, which was 20,000 lower than one year ago. At 6.6 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower than one year earlier. The number of employed persons was 30,000 higher than in last year's August.

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 - 2011/08

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 - 2011/08

In August 2011, the number of employed persons was 2,522,000, which was 30,000 higher than a year earlier. There were 25,000 more employed men and 6,000 more employed women than in August 2010.

This August, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 69.8 per cent, which was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 68.9 per cent. From last year’s August, men’s employment rate rose by 1.4 percentage points to 71.0 per cent and women’s by 0.4 percentage points to 68.6 per cent.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 177,000 unemployed in August 2011, i.e. 20,000 fewer than in August of the year before. The number of unemployed men was 91,000 and that of women 86,000.

At 6.6 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.8 percentage points lower in August than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent and women’s 6.6 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.7 per cent. This August, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 13.0 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points lower than in August 2010. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 19.7 per cent.

Changes in employment 2010/08–2011/08 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

  Year/Month Change
2010/08 2011/08 2010/08 - 2011/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Population total 4 046 4 060 0,4
Active population total 2 689 2 700 0,4
Employed 2 492 2 522 1,2
– employees 2 151 2 197 2,1
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers 341 326 –4,4
Unemployed 197 177 –10,0
Inactive population 1 357 1 360 0,3
  Per cent, % Percentage points
Employment rate, persons aged 15–64 68,8 69,8 0,9
Unemployment rate 7,3 6,6 –0,8
Activity rate 66,5 66,5 0,0
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 August 2011, there were altogether 235,000 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 18,000 lower than in August 2010.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres (ELY). In Åland, the number of unemployed job seekers grew from the previous year (9%). The number of unemployed job-seekers decreased most in South Ostrobothnia (–14%), Häme (–12%) and Pirkanmaa (–11%). At the end of August, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 9,000, which was 5,000 lower than twelve months earlier.

At the end of August, the number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 103,000, which was 5,000 higher than in August of the year before. Altogether 3.8 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy measures.

There were 30,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 4,000 lower than in last year's August. During this August, 49,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 7,000 more than in August 2010.

Changes 2010/08– 2011/08 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

  Year/Month Change
2010/08 2011/08 2010/08 - 2011/08
1000 persons Per cent, %
Unemployed job seekers 253 235 –7,2
– unemployed over a year 56 57 2,0
Total measures 98 103 4,7
– employed with subsidised measures 36 35 –1,1
– in labour market training 29 25 –14,6
– in trainee and job alternation places 17 18 4,0
– in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies (supported by unemployment benefit) 16 25 53,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices 42 49 17,0
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +358 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment and unemployment in 2010

Labour Force Survey 2010, Employment relationships and working hours in 2010

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

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 2011, August. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, Kirsi Toivonen (09) 1734 3535, Ari Väisänen (09) 1734 2290, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 20.9.2011

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. August 2011. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2011/08/tyti_2011_08_2011-09-20_tie_001_en.html