Employment Bulletin, October 2008

Employment bulletin of the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, October 2008:
At the end of October, the number of unemployed job applicants registered at employment offices totalled 192,600, down 5,800 on the previous year.

Unemployment decreased from the previous year throughout the country, except in the areas of the Employment and Economic Development Centres for Pirkanmaa and Northern Ostrobothnia, decreasing also in all occupational categories, except in house building work and in groups not classified elsewhere.

In October, the number of laid-off workers among the unemployed totalled 8,400, up 2,400 from September. Since October a year ago, the number of lay-offs has increased by 3,500. Jobseekers on a reduced working week numbered 1,200, representing an increase of 200 from the year before.

The number of new vacancies reported to employment offices during October totalled 39,500, or 4,200 less than October in the previous year.

 Compared with October a year ago, unemployment among men increased by 2,300 (2%) and decreased among women by 8,000 (-8 %).

The number of foreign citizens among unemployed jobseekers totalled 11,900, up 200 from October a year ago. Of these foreign unemployed jobseekers, EU/EEA citizens accounted for 2,400 at the end of October, up 200 from the year before.