Unemployment decreased in November
A total of 328,500 unemployed jobseekers were registered at Employment and Economic Development Offices at the end of November. This is 13,600 less than a year earlier. The number of unemployed jobseekers decreased by 400 from the previous month. The figures are from the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
The number of long-term unemployed, i.e. people who have been unemployed for a continuous period of at least a year, was 121,500 which is 7,100 more than a year earlier. The number of unemployed jobseekers over the age of 50 was 125,900 which is 3,100 less compared to the same time last year.
There were 40,100 unemployed jobseekers under the age of 25 which is 2,800 less than in last year’s November. On average, 63.0 percent of the unemployment periods of youths ended before reaching three months between January and November. This is 0.2 percentage points less than a year before.
The number of new vacancies increased
The number of new vacancies reported to Employment and Economic Development Offices during November totalled 38,700, or 5,500 more than November in the previous year. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies at Employment and Economic Development Offices amounted to 69,000 in November, which is 8,800 more than a year ago.
Nationwide, the status of 31,600 people was laid off which is 4,200 less compared to the same time last year. A total of 21,200 people were full-time laid off which is 4,100 less than in last year’s November.
The advance notifications of upcoming lay-offs given by employers have increased. According to the advance notifications, it is possible that 15,800 people will be laid off in the near future which is 8,900 more than a year ago. The number of upcoming lay-offs increased by 13,800 from October to November.
At the end of November, the number of persons covered by services included in the activation rate amounted to 129,400, up 7,200 on the previous year. These services include for example pay subsidies, labour market training, work trials and self-motivated study.
Statistics Finland: Unemployment rate 8.1 per cent
According to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey in November 2016, the number of employed persons was 11,000 more than one year earlier. The employment rate grew by 0.8 percentage points from last year to 67.7 per cent. According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 213,000 unemployed in November 2016, i.e. 3,000 fewer than in November of the year before. At 8.1 per cent, the unemployment rate was 0.1 percentage points lower in November than one year earlier.
The essential differences between the Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey:
The data is based on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s Employment Service Statistics and the summaries of upcoming lay-offs and on the Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey. MEAE Employment Service Statistics uses the Employment and Economic Development Office’s Service Statistics as its source whereas Statistics Finland's Labour Force Survey is sample-based.
In the MEAE Employment Service Statistics, people 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 stricter definition for unemployed: A person is unemployed if he/she has actively sought employment during the preceding four weeks and is available for work within 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 between the statistics
Further information:
Petri Syvänen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 504 805
MEAE Employment Service Statistics
Upcoming lay-offs summaries information
Essential definitions of the Employment Service Statistics
More detailed information on the Employment Service Statistics on MEAE’s ToimialaOnline statistical base: http://www.toimialaonline.fi/ path Statistical base – Labour market – Employment service statistics
Joint publication of Statistics Finland and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment