Finland - Labor Force

For Finland: a monthly labor force survey. Labor force status (population, labor force a.k.a. active population, employment, unemployment) by sex, rates (participation, unemployment), employment by industry, job dynamics (new job vacancies, unemployed job seekers).

Active monthly:

• Classification: TOL 2008, the local adaptation of NACE Rev. 2
• Measurements:
  • Thousands of persons (Ths. #)
  • Percent (%)
• Adjustments:
  • Trend
  • Seasonally adjusted (SA)
  • Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
• Native frequency: Monthly
• Start date: As early as 1989m1
• Geo coverage:

Active quarterly, where different:

• Start date: 2012Q1
• Geo coverage: NUTS 2016

Active quarterly by industry:

• Classification: NACE Rev. 2
• Start date: Uniformly 2009Q1
• Geo coverage: Country

Predecessors:

• By industry, monthly - {2005m1, 2009m1} to 2023m12 ("_23")
• Monthly, prior method - 1988m1 to 2021m2 ("_21")
• 2005m1 to 2012m4 (no specifier)
• Quarterly, NUTS 2013 - 1998 to 2018 (no specifier)
• Monthly, TOL 2002 (NACE Rev. 1.1) - {1989m1 ... 1995m1} to 2009m3 ("N11") 

The source writes:

The Labour Force Survey collects statistical data on the participation in work, employment, unemployment and activity of persons outside the labour force among the population aged between 15 and 74. The Labour Force Survey data collection is based on a random sample drawn twice a year from the Statistics Finland population database. The monthly sample consists of some 12,000 persons and the data are collected with computer-assisted telephone interviews. The information provided by the respondents is used to produce a picture of the activities of the entire population aged between 15 and 74. A so-called ad hoc module with annually changing topics is also carried out in connection with the Labour Force Survey.

A person is employed if he or she has worked at least one hour during the survey week for wages, salary, fringe benefits, or to make a profit, or has been temporarily absent from work. A person absent from work during the survey week is considered employed if the absense has lasted under three months, or if the absense is due to illness, or if the reason for the absense is maternity or paternity leave. 

Hours worked is the number of hours worked by the person during the survey week. This includes paid and unpaid hours worked, overtime, and hours worked in secondary jobs. 

As from 2008, a common EU practice is applied to wage and salary earners who are on long leaves from work. According to this practice, a person is employed if his/her absence has lasted less than three months or he/she is still paid a wage or salary or an earnings-based benefit amounting to at least one-half of his/her basic pay. Thus, e.g. persons on temporary care leave or job alternation leave are no longer automatically classified as being outside the labour force. The work of a family carer is no longer classified as gainful work, but family carer status is asked with a separate question.

Changes in methodology

As from 2008 the Labour Force Survey will collect data on i.a. temporary employment agency work and the monthly earnings of wage and salary earners. These new statistics will be reported from the year 2009 onwards. The industry of temporary employment agency workers will be determined on the basis of the job held during the survey week, whereas previously all temporary employment agency workers were classified as belonging to the industry Labour hire activities. This revision enables the examination of the number of temporary employment agency workers by industry.

In addition, more accurate and higher-quality data than before will be obtained on e.g. absences due to illness, different family leaves, the validity of employment relationships during leaves and part-time pensions.

Moody's Analytics supplements

For the monthly trend variants (seven series), we back-extend over the interval 1988m1 to 2010m12.

Revisions extending the Labour Force Survey's data content have been implemented in the beginning of 2008. The definitions of some concepts have also changed. The revisions are based on EU regulations and their aim is to improve the comparability of the Labour Force Surveys of different EU Member States.

Statistics Finland often revises their data when more information is made available and when new calculation methods are used.

When Statistics Finland fixes errors users are informed as soon as possible. 

Further reading

At the source:

• Revisions
• Source
• Concepts

At IMF (SDDS Plus):

• Labor market: Employment (Jan 2024 / Feb 2024)
• Labor market: Unemployment (Jan 2024 / Feb 2024)

• Sep 2005 - Initial version.
• May 2009 - Addendum of employment by industry under NACE Rev. 1.1 and 2.
• May 2021 - Change in methodology.
• 26 Jun 2023, Phillip Thorne - Added SA variants: Description, Properties.
• 29 Apr 2024, Phillip Thorne - For employment by industry, change in frequency: Properties.