Unemployment continued to rise, more jobseekers participated in services

At the end of August, the number of unemployed jobseekers was 6 per cent higher than at the same time last year. The number of people in broad unemployment also increased by 6 per cent year on year.

‘The number of unemployed jobseekers includes unemployed jobseeker clients of municipal employment services as well as those laid off on a full-time basis. In August, 12,000 people were laid off on a full-time basis, accounting for 4 per cent of all unemployed jobseekers. The number of people laid off was 2,400 lower than a year earlier and 1,500 higher than in July,’ says Mia Pylkkönen, Researcher at the KEHA Centre.

Unemployment continued to rise in all age groups

Unemployment increased year on year in all age groups. In August, there were 40,700 young unemployed jobseekers, meaning those aged under 25. This was 3,900 more than a year earlier. Between January and August, 46.9 per cent of young people’s periods of unemployment ended before reaching three months. This share was 1.1 percentage points higher than during the corresponding period a year earlier.

Of the unemployed jobseekers, 82,400 were aged over 55. This was 3,100 more than a year earlier. Between January and August, 42.9 per cent of unemployment periods among people aged over 55 ended before reaching three months. This share was 0.7 percentage points higher than during the corresponding period in 2025.

The number of job vacancies decreased slightly

In August, a total of 32,900 new job vacancies were reported to the public employment service on Job Market Finland. This was 2 per cent fewer than at the same time a year earlier. The number of new job vacancies declined most among professionals, clerical support workers, service and sales workers, and elementary occupations. Compared with the previous year, the number of new job vacancies increased only in the occupational group of craft and related trades workers.

Overall, 53,900 job vacancies were available through the public employment service during August, 1,900 fewer than a year earlier.

Activation rate remained at the previous year’s level, participation in services increased

At the end of August, a total of 68,700 jobseekers were participating in services included in the activation rate, 5 per cent more than a year earlier. Services included in the activation rate include pay subsidies, labour market training, rehabilitative work activities and independent study supported by unemployment benefit.

‘At the end of August, the activation rate stood at 17.3 per cent, close to the level recorded a year earlier. However, participation in activation services increased. In particular, participation in labour market training and coaching increased year on year. By contrast, the numbers of people participating in rehabilitative work activities and undertaking independent study supported by unemployment benefit continued to decline,’ says Mia Pylkkönen, Researcher at the KEHA Centre.

At the end of August, the number of people employed through employment services, meaning recipients of pay subsidies and start-up grants, totalled 11,800. This was 1 per cent fewer than a year earlier. Please note: In summer 2026, the data on people in subsidised employment were corrected by rectifying periods that had remained incorrectly recorded as ongoing for an extended period. This substantially reduced the number of people in subsidised employment, the total number of people participating in activation services and the activation rate. The corrections were applied to the monthly data for all months in 2025 and 2026. The 2026 figures presented in the Employment Bulletin are therefore comparable with those for the corresponding period a year earlier. For further information on the correction, see Correction of employment data in Employment Service Statistics (pdf).

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.