Finland Times

A young man looking for a bulletin board at a job center in Helsinki. Photo - Lehtikuva.

The rate of unemployment in the country has dropped slightly, as the Statistics Finland data show the rate in May 2014 at 10.7 per cent, which was 10.8 per cent a year before.

 

The number of unemployed persons was 296,000 with that of employed persons being 2,460,000 in May this year. 

 

Men’s employment rate was 69.2 per cent and women’s 68.5 per cent. Adjusted for seasonal and random variations, the trend in the employment rate was 68.4 per cent, according to the data.

 

Unemployment rate and trend of unemployment rate 2004/05 – 2014/05. Source: Statistics Finland.

The number of employed persons decreased in the private sector and grew in the public sector compared with May 2013.

 

In May, the employment rate, that is the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, was 68.9 per cent, or the same as one year earlier. 

 

At the end of May 2014, there were altogether 302,000 persons registered in accordance with the Employment Office Regulations as job-seekers at the employment and economic development offices, according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

 

The number of unemployed job-seekers was 33,000 higher than in May 2013. Unemployment increased from the previous year’s May in the areas of all employment and economic development centres, the most in Uusimaa (19%), Kainuu (16%) and Central Finland (15%). 

 

At the end of May, the number of temporarily laid-off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 21,000, which was 6,000 more than 12 months earlier.

 

Changes in employment 2013/05 – 2014/05 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, population aged 15 to 74

Changes 2013/05 – 2014/05 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

1) The law reform that entered into force at the beginning of 2013 and the change in the lay-off procedure on 1 July increase the number of unemployed job seekers somewhat.