Finland’s Unemployment Rises Again in March Despite Early-Year Stability

Finland’s labour market showed renewed signs of strain in March, as unemployment increased year-on-year despite modest stability earlier in the year.

According to the latest Labour Force Survey, the number of unemployed people aged 15 to 74 reached 315,000 in March, marking an increase of 30,000 compared to the same period in 2025.

The rise underscores ongoing challenges in the job market, even as broader indicators had hinted at a gradual recovery in the opening months of the year.

Employment figures also moved in the opposite direction. The total number of employed people fell by 22,000 year-on-year, standing at 2,524,000 in March.

This decline reflects continued pressure across sectors, with hiring yet to fully rebound.

A gender gap in unemployment persisted, with men disproportionately affected.

Of the total unemployed, 169,000 were men, compared to 146,000 women, maintaining a trend seen in previous reports.

Overall, the unemployment rate stood at 10.4 percent in March. While this represents little change compared to earlier in the year, it shows a slight improvement from the 10.7 percent recorded at the end of last year.

Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labour force remained stable.

In March, 1,334,000 individuals aged 15 to 74 were classified as outside the labour force, unchanged from a year earlier.

The latest figures suggest that while Finland’s labour market is not worsening sharply, a clear and sustained recovery has yet to take hold.