The number of employed people aged 15 to 74 was 2,594,000 in Finland in August, 2025, which was 23,000 lower than one year ago, according to Statistics Finland.
Meanwhile, the number of unemployed persons was 267,000 in August this year and the number was 53,000 higher compared to the stipulated month of the previous year.
The trend of the employment rate among persons aged 20 to 64 was 75.7 per cent and the trend of the unemployment rate among persons aged 15 to 74 was 10.0 per cent.
There were 6,000 fewer employed men and 17,000 fewer employed women than in August 2024.
There were 6,000 fewer employed men and 17,000 fewer employed women than in August last year.
In August, the non-seasonally adjusted employment rate, that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 20 to 64, stood at 76.2 per cent, having been 76.9 per cent in this age group one year earlier.
The employment rate of men aged 20 to 64 remained at the previous year's level at 77.2 per cent and the employment rate of women fell by 1.5 percentage points to 75.1 per cent from one year ago.
The employment rate of persons aged 20 to 69 fell by 0.5 percentage points from last year's August to 71.1 per cent.
The number of unemployed men was 137,000 and that of unemployed women 130,000.
In August, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of persons aged 15 to 74, or the proportion of the unemployed among the labour force stood at 9.3 per cent, having been 7.5 per cent one year earlier.
The unemployment rate of men stood at 9.2 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points more than one year before. The unemployment rate of women stood at 9.4 per cent, which was 2.0 percentage points higher than previous year.
In August, the share of the unemployed aged 15 to 24 among the labour force stood at 16.6 per cent, which was 3.6 percentage points more than one year earlier.
The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 21.7 per cent. The share of unemployed young people aged 15 to 24 among the population in the same age group was 8.2 per cent.
News agency Xinhua adds: Finland's unemployment rate climbed to 10 percent in August, the highest level since Statistics Finland began compiling its Labour Force Survey in 2009, the Statistics Finland reported Tuesday.
"Such a high unemployment rate cannot be found in the current trend series of the Labour Force Survey, which starts in 2009," said Joanna Viinikka, chief actuary at Statistics Finland, noting that joblessness has been on the rise since spring 2023.
The capital region of Uusimaa has been hit particularly hard. Long-term unemployment among people under 30 surged more than 63 percent year on year in August, according to the local Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.
"The prolonged unemployment indicates that the economic cycle has not clearly turned upward. Companies are cautious with recruitment, and there are few open positions available. It is especially difficult for recent graduates to find employment in this situation," the agency said.
Henna Busk, senior economist at Pellervo Economic Research PTT, said the rise in unemployment is sharper than anticipated.
"It is worrying that youth unemployment in particular has been increasing. Starting a career in a recession can have long-term negative effects on earnings and career development, and raise the risk of social exclusion," she warned. Busk added that private-sector employment, which showed signs of recovery earlier this year, has weakened again.
In response, the Finnish government has advanced labor market reforms and tax measures to stimulate hiring. From 2025, rules on local collective bargaining will be expanded to give companies and employees more flexibility.
The corporate income tax rate will be cut from 20 percent to 18 percent to encourage investment and job creation, while unemployment benefits and related subsidies are being reduced to strengthen work incentives.
- Unemployment
- Rises
- Finland
- August
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
