Labour market review – employment area of Espoo and Kauniainen, August 2025

At the end of August, there were a total of 18,565 unemployed jobseekers in the employment area of Espoo and Kauniainen, including 680 people who were temporarily laid off. The number of unemployed jobseekers has increased by about 12 per cent compared with August last year. In August, the share of unemployed people in the labour force was 11.0 per cent in Espoo and 8.1 per cent in Kauniainen. These figures are lower than the average for municipalities in Uusimaa (12.1 per cent).

Unemployment among young people under 30 has risen by 395 persons, or about 12.2 per cent, compared to the previous year. In August 2025, there were a total of 3,622 unemployed people under the age of 30. Similarly, unemployment among people over 50 has increased by 629 persons, or around 12 per cent, from one year ago. In August 2025, there were 5,850 unemployed jobseekers aged over 50.

The majority of the unemployed held upper secondary qualifications (6,752 persons), but there were almost as many with university degrees (6,679 persons). There were 3,081 unemployed persons with only a comprehensive school qualification, and for 2,053 people, the level of education was unknown. Unemployment has increased across all education levels, but the sharpest relative increase (17.1%) was among those with upper secondary qualifications. The unemployment rate among recent graduates has also risen significantly (37.5%), with the largest number of unemployed recent graduates holding upper secondary qualifications (554 persons).

Among unemployed jobseekers in the employment area of Espoo and Kauniainen, 43.1% were foreign-language speakers. The number of unemployed foreign-language speakers has increased by 11.7% compared with the previous year.

Long-term unemployment on the rise

Long-term unemployment is at an alarming level in Espoo and Kauniainen. In August 2025, there were 7,945 long-term unemployed persons, defined as individuals who have been unemployed continuously for at least one year. The number of long-term unemployed has increased significantly in the employment area. Over the past year alone, their number increased by 2,423 persons, or around 43.9 per cent. Unemployment periods appear to become longer, as the average job search duration among unemployed jobseekers in July 2025 was 73 weeks, or nearly one and a half years. This is eight weeks longer than in August 2024.

In August 2025, the activation rate in the employment area of Espoo and Kauniainen was 21.8%, slightly above the national average of 20.2%. The activation rate among foreign nationals was 36.0% in Espoo and Kauniainen and 33.7% nationwide. [1]

During August 2025, there were 862 new job vacancies in the employment area of Espoo and Kauniainen, a decrease of 292 from the previous year. However, when comparing the number of vacancies and unemployed jobseekers, it is important to note that the commuting area is much broader than the employment area, and not all vacancies are published through public employment services. Therefore, the number of open jobs should be regarded as indicative only. In the first quarter of 2025, the most important recruitment channel in the Uusimaa region was social media, followed by employers’ own websites. Public employment services ranked third, along with former employees.

Sources: KEHA Centre’s employment service statistics; Statistics Finland’s employment service statistics; Employment Bulletin, Uusimaa August 2025; KEHA Centre’s Employer Interviews report.

[1] The KEHA Centre’s employment service statistics contain gaps regarding people participating in employment services. This may affect the activation rate.