278,700 unemployed jobseekers in July

The number of unemployed jobseekers rose by 6,500 from July of last year. The number of new vacancies reported totalled 50,100. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in July was 101,800, which is 59,200 fewer than a year ago.

At the end of July, the number of unemployed jobseekers totalled 278,700. This is 6,500 more than a year earlier and 14,000 more than in the previous month. These figures are from the Employment Bulletin of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

The number of unemployed jobseekers includes the customers of Employment and Economic Development Offices and local government pilots on employment as well as people fully laid off. Of the unemployed jobseekers, 157,900, or 9,300 more than in July a year ago, were customers of municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment.

At the end of July, the number of people laid off was 23,100 persons; a year-on-year increase of 3,200. The number of people fully laid off totalled 18,400, representing an increase of 3,800 from July the year before. The number of people fully laid off increased by 2,600 from June.

92,200 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 — totalled 92,200, down 3,200 on the previous year. The number of unemployed jobseekers aged over 50 was 97,000, or 900 fewer than at the same time a year earlier.

The number of unemployed jobseekers aged under 25 was 30,900, representing an increase of 500 from July last year. Of the unemployment periods of youths, 57.9 per cent ended before reaching three months between January and July. This is 3.1 percentage points fewer than the year before.

Decrease in new vacancies

The number of new vacancies reported during July totalled 50,100, or 24,600 fewer than in July the previous year. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in July was 101,800, which is 59,200 fewer than a year ago.

At the end of July, the number of persons covered by services included in the activation rate amounted to 100,000, up 2,000 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 7.2%

According to the Labour Force Survey issued by Statistics Finland, in July the number of people in employment was 62,000 less than on the previous year. The trend of the employment rate was 74.2%, which was 0.5 percentage points higher than in July the year before. According to the Survey, the unemployment total was 195,000, which is 5,000 more than a year ago. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7.2%, or 0.3 percentage points higher 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 customer register of the Employment and Economic Development Offices and local government pilots on employment, 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.

Inquiries:

Petri Syvänen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 048 050