Number of unemployed jobseekers rises in July

The number of unemployed jobseekers in the country was 278,700 at the end of July, which is 6,500 higher than the stipulated period of the previous year and 14,000 higher than in the previous month, said the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in a press release on Tuesday.

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.

The number of long-term unemployed those who had been unemployed without interruption for at least a year was 92,200, which was 3,200 lower compared to the July 2022.

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.

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.

Meanwhile, 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.

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.