Labour force survey, seasonally-adjusted figures, June 2001

Adjusted for seasonal variations 6 000 more persons were unemployed in the 3-months period (May - July) then the previous 3-months period.

The number of employed persons and man-weeks worked shows only minor changes from the 3-months period (February - April) to (May - July) this year.

A total of 84 000 persons were unemployed in the second quarter of 2001 according to figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) not seasonally adjusted.

Prior to 1996 there was only one survey week each month in the LFS. In July in the reference year 1991 the survey week was the third week of the month, where the proportion on holiday is high. The proportion of the population on holiday in July the years after 1995, when all weeks were surveyed, was a little lower compared with July 1991. Due to this July has had too few leave substitutes since 1996. The employment figures for July this year were therefore adjusted upward by 21 100 before seasonal adjustment. This leave substitute adjustment was a little higher July 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 June is the average of the estimates from May June and July.

Tables:

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