Finland Times

 

Job seekers at the Employment Office in Helsink. File Photo – Lehtikuva.

The number of unemployed people aged below 25 has been on the slide for the last three months, reports the Finnish language newspaper consortium Lännen Media. 

 

At present, the number of jobless youth in the country stands at around 40,000. 

 

Janne Savolainen, an expert at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, said most of them, however, are not at the risk of social exclusion. “My opinion is that we should allow for a bit of drift, when young people are searching for their own place. Not everyone can immediately know what they want in life. Sometimes, a trip abroad can broaden and introduce new perspectives, even though this would show up in the unemployment statistics.” 

 

Savolainen, however, warned that if the period of unemployment is prolonged, it may hamper the launch of their working life or access to education and, thereby, increase the risk of social exclusion.