Unemployment Continued to Rise, but Declined in Ostrobothnia

At the end of September, there were 142,700 long-term unemployed persons, defined as jobseekers who had been continuously unemployed for at least one year. This was 9 per cent (11,600 persons) higher than a year earlier.

- 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 September, 12,100 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 3,000 lower than a year earlier’ says Riitta Kinnunen, Researcher at the KEHA Centre.

Unemployment continued to rise in all age groups

Unemployment increased year on year in all age groups. In September, there were 39,000 young unemployed jobseekers, meaning those aged under 25. This was 3,100 more than a year earlier. Between January and September, 48.7 per cent of young people’s periods of unemployment ended before reaching three months. This share was 1.2 percentage points higher than during the corresponding period a year earlier.

Of the unemployed jobseekers, 82,200 were aged over 55. This was 2,300 more than a year earlier. Between January and September, 44.0 per cent of unemployment periods among people aged over 55 ended before reaching three months. This share was 0.9 percentage points higher than during the corresponding period in 2025.

The number of job vacancies decreased slightly

The number of job vacancies decreased while the number of unemployed jobseekers increased. In September, a total of 33,400 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, service and sales workers, technicians and associate professionals 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, 54,500 job vacancies were available through the public employment service during September, 3,300 fewer than a year earlier.

Participation in activation services increased by 2,500 people

At the end of September, a total of 73,200 jobseekers were participating in services included in the activation rate, which was 4 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 September, the activation rate stood at 18.4 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 Riitta Kinnunen, Researcher at the KEHA Centre.

At the end of September, the number of people employed through employment services, meaning recipients of pay subsidies and start-up grants, totalled 11,700, the same number as a year earlier. The data on people in subsidised employment have been corrected for 2025 and 2026. As a result, the number of people in subsidised employment, the total number of participants in activation services, and the activation rate were revised downward. The 2026 figures presented in the Employment Bulletin are comparable with those for the corresponding period of the previous year. 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.