A customer is looking for work at the Helsinki employment services office in Helsinki. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finland’s unemployment rate climbed to 10.3 percent in October 2025, marking the highest figure in the current statistical series dating back to 2009. The data, released by Statistics Finland, revealed a sharp increase in both unemployment and employment, driven by shifts in youth participation and a rise in part-time jobs.
The number of unemployed people aged 15 to 74 rose by 48,000 compared to October 2024, reaching a total of 276,000. The increase was sharper among women, with 37,000 more unemployed women reported, compared to 12,000 more unemployed men over the same period.
At the same time, the number of employed persons also increased by 25,000, bringing the total to 2,611,000.
Pertti Taskinen, senior actuary at Statistics Finland, said student job-seeking activity contributed significantly to the spike in unemployment, particularly among younger age groups.
“Young people aged 15–24 showed a marked increase in labour market participation in October. This is likely linked to more students seeking work. The rise in unemployment is largely explained by this shift, though the number of unemployed also increased among those aged 55–64,” he said in a briefing in Kajaani.
Youth unemployment recorded a significant surge. The unemployment rate among 15–24-year-olds rose by 6.3 percentage points year-on-year to 22.5 percent. Among this age group, 11.6 percent were unemployed as a share of the total age-specific population.
The number of employed women grew by 24,000 over the year. The employment rate for women aged 20–64 rose to 76.7 percent, an increase of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, men in the same age group experienced a decline of 0.5 percentage points, with their employment rate falling to 76.0 percent.
The number of people working part-time reached an all-time high. In October, 539,000 employed persons worked part-time, representing 20.7 percent of all employed individuals.
The total number of people outside the labour force also decreased. There were 1,284,000 individuals not in the labour force in October, down by 60,000 from the year before. The number of women outside the labour force dropped by 56,000, and the number of men declined by 5,000.
The Statistics Finland report also notes that the increase in employment occurred mainly in the public sector.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
