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112 000 unemployed people
statistikk
2003-10-30T10:00:00.000Z
Labour market and earnings;Labour market and earnings;Immigration and immigrants
en
aku, Labour force survey, LFS, labour market, employees, unemployed, economically active, labour force, labour force status, employees by industry, underemployment, part-time work, hours of work, temporary staffUnemployment , Employment , Labour market and earnings, Labour market and earnings, Immigration and immigrants
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Labour force survey, Q3 2003

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112 000 unemployed people

The number of unemployed people in the third quarter 2003 was 112 000, according to the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) In this quarter the unemployment was 4.7 per cent of the working force, while it was 3.8 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2002. Over the same period the number of employed persons went down by 20 000. The new figures from the LFS also show a record low difference between male and female labour force participation.

Seasonally adjusted figures: No worsening in the last quarter

The employment showed small signs of improvement from the second to the third quarter 2003, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the LFS. Over the same period the unemployment stayed unchanged. Both changes are inside the margin of errors derived from the selection uncertainty of the LFS.

The method of seasonally adjusting makes us more able to reveal the current development in the labour market, as an alternative to compare with the same quarter in the last year. Seasonally adjusted figures are presented in a separate article.

The number of unemployed people in the third quarter 2003 was 112 000, according to the LFS - an increase of 21,000 from the same quarter last year. As a result, the unemployed constituted 4.7 per cent of the working force, compared to 3.8 per cent one year earlier. The unemployment has not been higher in the third quarter since 1996. Among men the unemployment was 5.1 per cent, and for women it was 4.2 per cent. The increase from the same quarter last year mainly came among men aged 25-54. Most of the growth came among people wanting a full-time job.

Unemployed (Labour Force Survey - LFS), registered unemployed and registered employed + public sector job creation programmes. Seasonally adjusted figures in thousands

Unemployment in the EU and OECD: 8,0 and 7,1 per cent

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Norway stayed at 4.6 per cent both in May and August 2003. In the same period the unemployment stayed unchanged at 8.0 per cent as an average in the EU member countries. The unemployment rate in the OECD-countries as a whole went down from 7.2 to 7.1 per cent. Both in May and August 2003 the unemployment rate amounted to 6.1 per cent in the USA. The unemployment rate in Sweden increased from 5.4 per cent in May to 5.5 per cent in August 2003, while it went down from 9.2 to 9.0 per cent in Finland. In the same period, unemployment remained unchanged in France and Germany. This is according to figures from OECD and Eurostat .

More under-employment

85,000 persons were under-employed in the third quarter 2003, i.e. part-time employees seeking more work - an increase by 11 000 from the same quarter last year. As a percentage of all part-time employees, this corresponds to 14.7 per cent, compared to 12.8 per cent in the third quarter 2002. Half of the under-employed people want to work full-time.

Lower male labour force participation

From the third quarter 2002 to the third quarter 2003, the male labour force participation decreased from 77.8 to 77.0 per cent. For women the participation rate stayed unchanged at about 70 per cent. The overall labour force participation has not been lower in the third quarter since 1996. The difference between male and female labour force participation has never been lower than in this . People aged 55-74, and particularly men, increased their labour force participation, while the younger groups had a reduction.

Workforce, employed and man-weeks worked. Seasonally adjusted figures in thousands

Employment decreased for men

The number of male employees went down by 19,000 from the third quarter 2002 to the third quarter 2003. For women the number of employees was unchanged. The decrease was strongest for men aged 25-54 working full-time. This group decreased by 32,000 people compared with the corresponding quarter last year. The manufacturing industries experienced the largest decrease - 21,000. Part of this development may be due to lesser use of summertime substitutes in the third quarter 2003 compared to the same quarter 2002.

Unchanged temporary employment

218,000 persons were temporary employed in the third quarter 2003, which is approximately at the same level as in the same quarter 2002. This corresponds to 10.3 per cent of all employees compared with 10.6 per cent one year before. The rate of temporary employment was highest in the primary industries, hotels and restaurants, and health and social work. In the opposite end we find financial intermediation, real estate and business activities, in addition to manufacturing.

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