Unemployment grew in May, according to new data from Statistics Finland.
The agency's Labour Force Survey found there were around 35,000 fewer working age people who were employed last month, compared to May of last year.
At the same time, the number of unemployed increased in the 15-74 age group by about 33,000 people last month compared to May 2023.
The employment rate trend among those aged 20-64 was 76,9 percent. While the unemployment rate trend among 15-74 year olds for the month of May was 8.2 percent.
The survey found that the number of men who had jobs decreased last month, with 33,000 more men aged 15-74 who were jobless compared to May of last year. On the other hand, there were 5,000 fewer unemployed women than in May 2023.
Men losing construction jobs
According to Roope Ohlsbom, an economist at the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, the reason behind the labour market gender gap is the male-dominated construction industry which is in a slump.
"In particular, the construction sector crisis and rise in related bankruptcies are clearly seen in the number of unemployed people," he said in a federation press release.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published its own employment statistics on Wednesday.
The ministry reported that the number of unemployed job seekers increased by 27,500 people in May, compared to a year ago, amounting to a total of 266,400 people.
It said there were 30,200 people who had been laid off in May, which was 10,200 more than a year ago, the ministry said.
Statistics Finland and the ministry have different methods of defining employment figures, so their figures are not comparable.
The ministry also reported that there were around 93,700 open positions on the Finnish job market in May, reflecting a decrease of 56,800 compared to the same month in 2023.
Edited to reflect that the Labour Force Survey found there were around 35,000 fewer working age people who were employed last month, compared to May of last year.