272,300 unemployed jobseekers in July

The number of unemployed jobseekers decreased by 50,300. The number of new vacancies reported in July totalled 74,700. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies amounted to 161,000, which is 24,900 more than a year ago.

At the end of July, a total of 272,300 unemployed jobseekers were registered at the Employment and Economic Development Offices and municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. This is 50,300 fewer than a year earlier and 12,500 more than in the previous month. 

Of the unemployed jobseekers, 148,600, or 18,000 fewer than in July a year ago, were customers of municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. The number of unemployed jobseekers also includes those fully laid off. These figures are from the Employment Bulletin of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

At the end of July, the number of people laid off was 20,000 in the whole country, which was 24,400 fewer than at the same time last year. The number of people fully laid off totalled 14,600, representing a decrease of 17,800 from July the year before. The number of people fully laid off increased by 2,300 from June.

95,400 unemployed in the long term

The number of long-term unemployed — i.e. those who had been unemployed without interruption for at least a year — amounted to 95,400, down 18,500 on the previous year. The number of unemployed jobseekers aged over 50 was 97,900, or 15,500 fewer than at the same time a year earlier.

Unemployed jobseekers under 25 years of age numbered 30,500, representing a decrease of 9,800 from July last year. Of the unemployment periods of youths, 61.0 per cent ended before reaching three months between January and July. This is 2.5 percentage points more than the year before.

Increase in new vacancies

The number of new vacancies reported during July totalled 74,700, or 2,500 more than in July the previous year. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in July amounted to 161,000, which is 24,900 more than a year ago.

At the end of July, the number of persons covered by services included in the activation rate amounted to 98,000, up 200 on the previous year. These services include pay subsidies, labour market training, rehabilitative work and self-motivated studies.

Statistics Finland: The trend of the unemployment rate 6.8%

According to the Labour Force Survey issued by Statistics Finland, in July the number of people in employment was 49,000 more than on the previous year. The trend of the employment rate was 73.7%, which was 1.3 percentage points higher than in July the year before. According to the Survey, the unemployment total was 190,000, which is 12,000 less than a year ago. The trend of the unemployment rate was 6.8%, or 0.9 percentage points lower than the previous year.

Key differences between Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey 

This information is based on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland. The Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry are compiled on the basis of the information in the Employment and Economic Development Offices’ customer register, while the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland is based on sampling. 

In the employment service statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment persons that are not in employment relationship or employed in business are listed as unemployed. Persons fully laid-off but not full-time students are also categorised as unemployed in the Employment Service Statistics. The Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland has a stricter definition of being unemployed: a person is unemployed if he or she has actively sought employment during the preceding four weeks and is available for work over the coming two weeks. The figures of the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland are internationally comparable and thus they are the official Finnish unemployment statistics. 

Further information on the differences in the statistics.

Inquiries:
Petri Syvänen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 8050