The number of unemployed jobseekers rose by 16,900 from September of last year. The number of new vacancies reported totalled 56,900. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in September was 109,300, which is 62,200 fewer than a year ago.

The number of unemployed jobseekers rose by 10,400 from August of last year. The number of new vacancies reported totalled 64,700. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in August was 114,400, which is 61,100 fewer than a year ago.

In order to thwart the risk of prolonged unemployment, it is important that people who have been unemployed for longer than a year find work quickly. Long-term unemployment is often related to a diagnosis of an illness and lack of education. Education plays a minor role in the employment plans of the long-term unemployed.

Integration programmes and language training increase employment of immigrants. An active labour market policy is most effective for people who have the greatest difficulty in securing employment. Financial sanctions, on the other hand, are likely to work best for the highly educated. These are the findings of a study completed by Labore, the Labour Institute for Economic Research som beställts av arbets- och näringsministeriets Kompetenscentret för integration av invandrare.

According to a report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on employment after participation in active employment services, active employment services providing the best short-term employment effects in 2018 were substitution during a job alternation leave, employment with start-up grants, placement in central government jobs, and self-motivated studies whilst claiming unemployment benefit.