Demand for labour decreased, positive signs in the development of broad unemployment

At the end of March, there were a total of 342,800 unemployed job seekers, which is 22,400 more compared to a year earlier. The number of new unemployment spells started was 5,700 higher than a year ago. At the end of March, 434,300 job seekers were covered by broad unemployment. Their number increased by 13,500, or 3%, from the year before. 

These figures are from the Employment Bulletin of the Employment, Development and Administrative Centre (KEHA Centre).

The number of unemployed job seekers includes customers of municipal employment services as well as those who have been laid off full-time.
- A total of 25,100 people were laid off full-time in March, which is 1,900 fewer than a year ago and 3,200 fewer than in February this year, says Santtu Sundvall, head of the unit of the KEHA Centre.

Growth in long-term unemployment still substantial, especially high numbers of people who have been unemployed for more than two years

There were 139,700 long-term unemployed in March, meaning individuals who have been unemployed jobseekers continuously for at least one year. The number is 24,700 (22%) higher than a year earlier. The number of long-term unemployed who had been unemployed continuously for more than two years was 71,700, which is 14,700 (26%) more than in March last year.

Unemployment increased year-on-year in all age groups. There were 42,200 unemployed jobseekers under the age of 25 5,000 more than a year ago. 45.0 per cent of youth unemployment ended in January to March before three months of unemployment. This share rose by 1.5 percentage points from one year ago. Of unemployed job seekers, 86,700 were over the age of 55, which is 4,500 more than a year ago. Among unemployed persons aged over 55, 42.8 per cent ended before three months of unemployment in January to March. The share is 0.3 percentage points higher than in the corresponding period last year.

Number of new vacancies continued to fall

During March, 42,000 new vacancies were reported to Työmarkkinatori/Job market Finland, which is 4,900 (-10%) fewer than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Only in the occupational group of specialists (280) and managers (100) the number of new vacancies increased compared to March last year. In turn, the largest decrease was most pronounced in the occupational group of service and sales wor-kers, where 2,200 fewer new jobs were reported in March than one year earlier. In total, 86,400 jobs were open in March, which is 20,000 fewer than a year ago, says Sundvall. 

The most common job titles in the search were the duties of a nurse, a salesperson, a kindergarten teacher, a motor vehicle installer and repairer, and a restaurant and catering worker. 

Fewer job seekers still covered by activation services

The number of people in services included in the activation rate was 91,600 at the end of March, which is 8,900 (-9%) fewer than one year earlier. Services included in the activation rate include pay subsidy, labour market training, rehabilitative work activities and self-motivated study with unemployment benefit. The activation rate was 21.1% at the end of March, i.e. 2.8 percentage points lower than one year ear-lier. In relative terms, most of the decline had been in the use of work and training trials (-34%), various trainings (-30%) and rehabilitative work activities (-29%).  

          
Key differences between the Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey

The source of the Employment Service Statistics of the KEHA Centre is the customer register of municipal employment services, while the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland is a sample survey. 

In the Employment Service Statistics of the KEHA Centre, anyone who is not employed or acting as an entrepreneur is classified 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 unemployed: a person is unemployed if they have actively sought employment during the preceding four weeks and are available for work within two weeks. The Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland produces official unemployment figures that are internationally comparable.