Number of unemployed jobseekers nearly doubles in April

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The new figures show the sweeping impact of the coronavirus crisis on Finnish society and economy.

Number of unemployed jobseekers nearly doubles in April

The number of people out of work and looking for employment almost doubled in April compared with the year before, as the coronavirus crisis deepened.

The latest statistics, released on Wednesday, paint a stark picture of the impact on society and the economy of the pandemic with rises in total unemployment, long-term unemployment and unemployed people over 50-years old, coupled with a decrease in the number of new job vacancies.

New figures from the Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs shows that this April there were 433,100 unemployed jobseekers registered at Employment and Economic Development Offices at the end of April – an increase of 203,400 year-on-year.

The number of long-term unemployed people, who have been out of work without interruption for more than a year, was up 4,300 from last April to 67,400 this year; while the number of unemployed jobseekers aged over 50 was up 53,900 compared with the year before to 141,500.

The ministry reports a decrease too in the number of new job vacancies on the marked, down 18,700 in April compared with the year before – although there were still 113,300 unfilled vacancies that month.

Statistics Finland puts the current unemployment rate at 8.1%

Source: newsnowfinland.fi