Labour force survey, Q1 2013

Since the figures in this article are not seasonally-adjusted, comparisons are with the corresponding quarter in the previous year. The short-term changes in the labour market are presented in a separate article with seasonally-adjusted figures.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that the share of labour force participants aged 15-74 years was 70.9 per cent in the 1st quarter of 2013, down 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. The population aged 15-74 years increased by 60 000 persons from the 1st quarter of 2012 to the same quarter of 2013, while the number of persons in the labour force increased by 24 000 during the same period. Among men, the share of labour force participants went down by 0.9 percentage points to 73.6 per cent in the 1st quarter of 2013. The labour force rate among women was 68.1 per cent in the 1st quarter of 2013, down by 0.2 percentage points from the year before.

Stable number in employment

The LFS shows an increase in the number of employed persons by 13 000 between the 1st quarters of 2012 and 2013. This increase is much smaller than previously recorded. The seasonally-adjusted figures show that the change in unemployment growth was in the second half of 2012. The small increase in the number of employed persons in combination with the population growth resulted in a decrease in the employment rate by 0.8 percentage points. The decrease was mainly among persons between 25 and 66 years of age.

Rise in unemployment

There were 98 000 unemployed persons in the 1st quarter of 2013, up from 86 000 in the 1st quarter of 2012. The seasonally-adjusted figures show that the increase took place at the end of 2012. The increase in the number unemployed between the two 1st quarters of 2012 and 2013 was almost exclusively among women – and to a large extent among women less than 25 years of age. Many of these new, young unemployed persons seek part-time jobs and describe their main activity as attending school or studying.

Every tenth part-time employed person is underemployed

A total of 67 000 persons were underemployed in the 1st quarter of 2013, corresponding to 10 per cent of part-time employed persons. This was an increase of 6 000 persons and 1 percentage point since the 1st quarter of 2012. The underemployed are part-time employees who have tried to find more work. The majority of underemployed persons are women. This must be seen in relation to the prevalence of part-time employment among women.

The time the underemployed wanted to work extra in the 1st quarter of 2013 corresponds to 24 000 full-time jobs. Adding the time that the unemployed wanted to work that quarter, the work wanted by these two groups corresponds to 104 000 full-time jobs.