The Finland unemployment rate climbed to 10.6% in November 2025, the highest level in Statistics Finland’s trend series since it began in 2009. The latest Labour Force Survey data show 276,000 people were unemployed in November, about 50,000 more than a year earlier, underlining a negative trajectory that was already visible in October.
Statistics Finland’s trend measure hits post-2009 high
Statistics Finland’s trend unemployment rate (which smooths out seasonal and random variation) rose from 10.3% in October to 10.6% in November. The trend series is designed to capture longer-term shifts in the labour market, and it can be revised as new months are added.
In the same November survey, the non-seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (the month’s raw proportion of unemployed people in the labour force) stood at 9.7%, up from 8.1% in November 2024.
October warning sign becomes November reality
October’s figures were already unusually high by recent Finnish standards: Statistics Finland reported a 10.3% trend unemployment rate and 276,000 unemployed people in that month as well. November’s update confirms that the spike was not a one-off fluctuation, but part of a broader deterioration that has persisted through autumn.
While the number of employed people has remained broadly stable year on year in the latest monthly readings, unemployment has continued to climb—suggesting a labour market where job creation is not keeping pace with a growing pool of jobseekers.
Labour force growth and shifting job quality
In November, Statistics Finland estimated 2,566,000 employed people aged 15–74, roughly unchanged from a year earlier. The gender breakdown moved in opposite directions: there were 13,000 more employed men and 16,000 fewer employed women than in November 2024.
Among the unemployed, both men and women increased year on year: 151,000 unemployed men and 125,000 unemployed women were recorded in November, together adding up to the month’s 276,000 total.
A key signal for the economy is the composition of work. Recent reporting has pointed to rising part-time employment alongside continued pressure on full-time jobs, a pattern often associated with weaker demand and cautious hiring.
Youth unemployment rises above 20% in survey data
Youth joblessness has also worsened. In November, the share of unemployed 15–24-year-olds in the labour force was 20.5%, five percentage points higher than a year earlier. Statistics Finland’s trend measure for youth unemployment was 23.1%, indicating that the increase is not limited to seasonal patterns.
For Finland, where transitions from education to stable work are typically a major policy focus, sustained youth unemployment at these levels raises questions about long-term scarring effects, skills mismatch and regional disparities.
Economic backdrop: recovery delayed and public finances under strain
The labour market deterioration is unfolding against a weak macroeconomic backdrop. Finland’s Ministry of Finance has said the country’s recovery in 2025 has been weaker than expected, with growth held back by weak domestic demand and prolonged uncertainty that has weighed on consumer confidence.
The government is also facing tightening fiscal constraints. The Ministry of Finance has warned that public finances may require additional adjustment measures during the current government term—through some combination of spending cuts and revenue measures—adding another layer of uncertainty for households and businesses.
What to watch next in 2026
The November data reinforce a key risk for Finland’s 2026 outlook: if unemployment stays high while full-time work remains under pressure, consumption and tax revenues may remain subdued, complicating the government’s fiscal plans.
In the coming months, attention will focus on whether hiring improves as interest rates ease and construction stabilises, or whether the unemployment trend hardens into a longer downturn—at a time when Finland is also navigating EU fiscal scrutiny and broader shifts in European demand.
