Labour force survey, seasonally-adjusted figures, July 2001

Adjusted for seasonal variations 8 000 more persons where unemployed in the last 3-months period (June - August) than the previous 3-months period. The unemployed constitute 3.6 per cent of the labour force, compared with 3.3 per cent the previous 3-months period. The sample uncertainty in Labour Force Survey - (LFS) is so large that the increase may be a random swing around a stable level of unemployment.

There were only minor changes in the number of persons in the labour force from the 3-months period March - May this year to June - August.

Prior to 1996 there was only one survey week each month in the LFS. In August in the reference year 1991 the survey week was the second week of the month, where the proportion on holiday is high. The proportion of the population on holiday in August the years after 1995, when all weeks were surveyed, was a little lower compared with August 1991. Due to this, August has had too few leave substitutes since 1996. The employment figures for August this year were therefore adjusted upward by 19 400 before seasonal adjustment. This leave substitute adjustment was a 21 400 August last year.

The purpose of adjusting for seasonal variations is to describe the development during the last year and to give figures for change between the last two 3-months periods cleared for normal seasonal variations. In order to reduce uncertainty the presented series are three months moving averages of the seasonally adjusted figures. For instance the figure from July is the average of the estimates from June, July and August.

Tables:

• Table 1. Persons aged 16-74 years by labour force status, seasonally adjusted, three-months moving average. 1000