Unemployment has risen by 6% from last spring.
The number of unemployed jobseekers in Finland stood at 333,200 at the end of April, according to the KEHA Centre, a state agency overseeing employment. This is 20,000 more people — or six percent higher — than a year earlier.
At the same time, the number of new job vacancies reported to the national job market service declined. In April, 37,000 new jobs were listed, which is 5,700 fewer than in the same month last year.
Overall, there were 67,100 open vacancies in April, around 20 percent fewer than a year earlier.
Long-term unemployment on the rise
Long-term unemployment also increased. There were 139,200 people who had been unemployed for at least one year, nearly 20 percent more than in April last year.
The number of people unemployed for more than two years rose even more sharply, increasing by 25 percent to 72,500.
Unemployment increased across all age groups compared with a year earlier.
There were 41,000 unemployed jobseekers under the age of 25, an increase of 5,000 year-on-year. Among those aged over 55, there were 84,500 unemployed people, up by 3,800.
A broader measure of unemployment — which includes both unemployed jobseekers and people in activation services — rose by 12,600 from a year earlier, reaching 424,800 people in total.
KEHA Centre figures are based on the employment authorities’ user register. Under their definition, unemployed people include those without employment or business activity, including fully laid-off workers.
Statistics Finland uses a stricter, internationally comparable definition that requires active job seeking and availability for work. Its Labour Force Survey provides Finland’s official, internationally comparable unemployment rate.
Consumer confidence edges up slightly
Meanwhile, consumer confidence strengthened slightly in May but remained at a low level, according to the number-crunching agency.
Plans to buy a home fell to the lowest level in the entire measurement history, matching the record low seen in 1998, when the data series began.
Households’ views of their own financial situation remained weak. Respondents continued to see the current moment as a poor time for taking out loans, and also unfavourable for saving.
Despite this, confidence in the broader economy improved slightly.
Business confidence also rose modestly in May, according to the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).
Sentiment improved notably in the service sector, while confidence in manufacturing, construction and retail remained broadly unchanged from the previous month.
