DistantNews
Support us
🇫🇮 Finland /Economy & Trade

Unemployment in Finland Reaches 21st Century High in May

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • The number of unemployed people in Finland reached its highest point in the 21st century in May, totaling 376,000.
  • The unemployment rate climbed to 12.7%, with the 15-24 age group accounting for about two-thirds of the annual increase.
  • Experts note that May typically sees higher unemployment as students and recent graduates seek work, but the trend rate has also been rising.

Finland's unemployment figures hit a 21st-century high in May, with the number of jobless individuals reaching 376,000, according to Statistics Finland. This marks the largest figure since 1998 and represents a significant increase from the 308,000 unemployed in May 2025.

The unemployment rate for those aged 15-74 also surged to 12.7%, the highest in two decades, compared to 10.5% in May 2025. A substantial portion of this year-on-year increase, approximately two-thirds, comes from the 15-24 age bracket. Joanna Viinikka, senior actuary at Statistics Finland, explained that May traditionally sees a spike in unemployment as new graduates enter the job market.

Beyond the seasonal fluctuations, the trend rate of unemployment, adjusted for seasonal and random variations, also rose in May to 10.8%. This trend has been steadily increasing, up by 1.5 percentage points from the previous year. The employment rate for those aged 20-64 also declined to 75.2% in May, dropping by one percentage point from April and 0.8 percentage points from May 2025. The number of employed men decreased by 6,000 and employed women by 26,000 compared to the previous year.

The highest unemployment figures of the year are typically measured in May, when students and recent graduates begin looking for work.

— Joanna ViinikkaJoanna Viinikka, senior actuary at Statistics Finland, explained the seasonal nature of the May unemployment figures.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog