Published: 22 September 2015
Unemployment rate 8.3 per cent in August
According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed persons in August 2015 was 222,000, which was 26,000 higher than one year ago. The unemployment rate was 8.3 per cent, having been 7.4 per cent in August of the year before. There were 4,000 more employed than in August of the previous year. The number of persons in the inactive population was 25,000 lower than one year earlier.
Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/08–2015/08, persons aged 15–74
![Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/08–2015/08, persons aged 15–74](tyti_2015_08_2015-09-22_tie_001_en_001.gif)
In August 2015, the number of employed persons was 2,469,000 (margin of error ±33,000), which was 4,000 more than a year earlier. There were 10,000 more employed men and 6,000 fewer employed women than in August 2014.
In August, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68.8 per cent, and it remained almost unchanged compared with August 2014. The employment rate for men rose by 0.4 percentage points to 69.4 per cent. The employment rate for women fell by 0.6 percentage points to 68.2 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 67.7 per cent.
According to Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey, there were 222,000 unemployed (margin of error ±19,000) in August 2015, i.e. 26,000 more than one year earlier. The number of unemployed men was 119,000 and that of women 104,000. The number of unemployed women grew by 12,000 and of unemployed men by 13,000.
At 8.3 per cent, the unemployment rate in August was 0.9 percentage points higher than one year earlier. Men’s unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent and women’s 7.9 per cent. The trend of the unemployment rate was 9.5 per cent.
In August, there were a total of 643,000 young people aged 15 to 24 . Of them, 281,000 were employed and 44,000 unemployed. Thus, the labour force of young people (employed and unemployed) totalled 324,000. In August, the unemployment rate for young people aged 15 to 24, that is, the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force, stood at 13.5 per cent, which was 2.3 percentage points higher than one year previously. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 22.9 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 6.8 per cent.
There were 1,409,000 persons in the inactive population in August 2015, which was 25,000 fewer than one year earlier. Of the inactive population, 147,000 persons were in disguised unemployment , which was almost the same as in August 2014.
Changes in employment 2014/08–2015/08 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74
Year/Month | Change | ||
2014/08 | 2015/08 | 2014/08 - 2015/08 | |
1000 persons | Per cent, % | ||
Population total | 4 096 | 4 101 | 0,1 |
Active population total | 2 662 | 2 691 | 1,1 |
Employed | 2 465 | 2 469 | 0,2 |
– employees | 2 118 | 2 129 | 0,5 |
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers | 347 | 340 | –2,2 |
Unemployed | 197 | 222 | 13,1 |
Inactive population | 1 434 | 1 409 | –1,7 |
– persons in disguised unemployment | 149 | 147 | 0,8 |
Per cent, % | Percentage points | ||
Employment rate, persons aged 15 to 64 | 68,9 | 68,8 | –0,1 |
Unemployment rate | 7,4 | 8,3 | 0,9 |
Activity rate | 65,0 | 65,6 | 0,6 |
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 August 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 27,000 higher than in last year's August.
The number of unemployed job seekers increased in August from the corresponding period in 2014 in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres apart from Kainuu (–2%): most in Uusimaa (13%), North Savo (13%), and South Ostrobothnia (12%). At the end of August, the number of temporarily laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 19,000, which was 1,000 more than twelve months earlier.
The number of persons engaged in services included in the activation rate totalled 110,000 at the end of August, which was 7,000 less than in August of the year before. Altogether, 4.1 per cent of the labour force was covered by labour market policy services.
There were 48,000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 4,000 higher than in last year's August. During this August, 37,000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 1,000 more than in August 2014.
Changes 2014/08–2015/08 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Year/Month | Change | ||
2014/08 | 2015/08 | 2014/08 - 2015/08 | |
1000 persons | Per cent, % | ||
Unemployed job seekers 1) | 319 | 347 | 8,5 |
– unemployed over a year | 92 | 113 | 22,8 |
Services, total | 117 | 110 | –6,3 |
– employed | 39 | 25 | –36,1 |
– in labour market training, in training | 24 | 22 | –8,8 |
– engaged in work/training trials | 9 | 10 | 9,5 |
– as a job alternation substitute, in rehabilitative work, self-motivated studies supported by unemployment benefit | 45 | 53 | 18,4 |
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices | 36 | 37 | 3,4 |
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column. |
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 .
Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
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, August. Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Joanna Viinikka 029 551 3796, Kirsi Toivonen 029 551 3535, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi
Director in charge: Riitta Harala
Publication in pdf-format (451.5 kB)
- Tables
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Tables in databases
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Appendix tables
- Appendix table 1. Key indicators in the Labour Force Survey by sex 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 2. Population aged 15-74 by labour force status and sex 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 3. Population by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 4. Active population by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 5. Activity rates by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 6. Employed persons by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 7. Employment rates by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 8. Employed persons aged 15-74 by status in employment 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 9. Employed persons aged 15-74 by employer sector 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 10. Employed persons aged 15-74 by Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 11. Part-time employed persons aged 15-74 by sex 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 12. Proportion of part-time employed persons in all employed persons aged 15-74 by sex 2014/08 - 2015/08, % (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 13. Employees aged 15-74 by type of employment relationship 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 14. Employees aged 15-74 by type of employment relationship 2014/08 - 2015/08, % (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 15. Unemployed persons by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 16. Unemployment rates by sex and age 2014/08 - 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 17. Unemployment rates by Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI) 2014/08 - 2015/08, persons aged 15-74 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix table 18. Seasonally adjusted trends 2015/08 (22.9.2015)
- Figures
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- Appendix figure 1. Employment rate and trend of employment rate 2005/08 - 2015/08, persons aged 15 - 64 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix figure 2. Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2005/08 - 2015/08, persons aged 15 - 74 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix figure 3. Employment rate and trend of employment rate 1989/01 - 2015/08, persons aged 15 - 64 (22.9.2015)
- Appendix figure 4. Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 1989/01 - 2015/08, persons aged 15 - 74 (22.9.2015)
- Quality descriptions
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- Quality Description: Labour force survey (22.9.2015)
Updated 22.9.2015
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Labour force survey [e-publication].
ISSN=1798-7857. August 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 17.8.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyti/2015/08/tyti_2015_08_2015-09-22_tie_001_en.html