KEHA Centre has published a national statistical report on the organisation of employment services

The statistical reports published three times a year by the KEHA Centre include a situational picture of the organisation of employment services throughout the country and for different employment areas. The data is primarily based on KEHA Centre's Employment Service Statistics, other statistical sources available to KEHA Centre and data from other statistical authorities. The content is actively developed further.

Link to the report, January–April 2025 (pdf, in Finnish)

Observations on the organisation of employment services (January–April 2025)

• The new employment areas started their operations at a challenging time from the perspective of the labour market. Demand for labour has been low and unemployment has increased strongly. Long-term unemployment in particular has increased significantly.
• The flows to unemployment for more than three months have reached a record-high level in many regions. In Uusimaa, for example, the 70 per cent threshold was exceeded early in the year.
• Practically every region experienced a shock reaction early in the year, which has affected the level of services. The number of up-to-date service plans, for example, dropped significantly early in the year. Most of the regions improved the situation by April, but some will take much longer to normalise.
• The use of activation services has been lower early in the year. In particular, guidance related to pay subsidies, employment training and voluntary studying has decreased significantly.
• There have also been considerably fewer employment service events than in recent years.
• Particularly positive observations made in Pirkanmaa, Central Finland and South Ostrobothnia, while the situation was more challenging in Uusimaa
• According to KEHA Centre’s assessment, the situation will begin to normalise during the current year, and further conclusions on the development of different regions should not be drawn until the beginning of 2026.

Preparation of statistical reports

Going forward, statistical reports will be compiled three times a year:

• January–April data → publication during May–June
• January–August data → publication during September–October (different schedule in 2025 due to the organisation of YSE discussions)
• Full-year data → publication at the end of January

The reports examine the following themes, among others:

1. Labour demand: for example, vacancies and demand
2. Structure of unemployment: for example, the situation of unemployed and long-term unemployed persons and flows to unemployment
3. Use of labour and employment services: for example, the activation rate and placement after activation services, performance of employment services, use of services
4. Organising employment services: for example, expert-specific customer load, up-to-datedness of service plans and job seekers’ customer satisfaction
5. Labour authorities’ contribution (municipalities’ contribution to unemployment benefits)

The content of the reports will be developed further during the year. Data, such as the cost-effectiveness of employment services and employment results, will be added to the reports gradually during 2025–2026, depending on the availability of data. (for example, income register-based indicators)

The reports can be found in the Employment and Statistics section of Job Market Market.

Read more:

Employment and Statistics section of Job Market Market

More information:

Santtu Sundvall, Head of Unit, KEHA Centre, Assessment and business intelligence unit

Petri Syvänen, Senior Researcher, KEHA Centre, Assessment and business intelligence unit 

(firstname.lastname@ely-keskus.fi)