Unemployment increased further in June

Unemployment in Finland continued its upward trend in June, with Statistics Finland reporting 297,000 jobless individuals aged 15 to 74. This marks an increase from the 294,000 recorded in June of the previous year. The employment rate for the 20-69 age group saw a slight dip, falling by 0.4 percentage points to 71.3% compared to the same period last year. Examining gender-specific data, the unemployment rate for men aged 15-74 stood at 10.0% in June, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous year. In contrast, the unemployment rate for women in the same age bracket rose to 10.1%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to June of the prior year. Looking at broader trends, the trend figure for unemployment among those aged 15-74 was 10.5% in June, after accounting for seasonal and random fluctuations. The second quarter of the year also saw a significant rise in unemployment, with an average of 336,000 people jobless, a substantial increase from the 297,000 average in the second quarter of the previous year. Additionally, the proportion of part-time employed individuals grew during the second quarter, with 493,000 people working part-time, representing 18.9% of all employed individuals. A concerning 30% of these part-time workers reported that they take part-time positions because full-time employment is not available.