3.1 General context
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Labour market situation in the country
According to the Labour Force Survey of the Statistics Finland’s the unemployment rate of young people (15 to 24-year-olds), was 20.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. Based on the Employment Bulletin January 2025, of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the number of unemployed jobseekers under 25 years of age was 38,200, which is a 6,000 increase when compared to January 2024.
The development of the Finnish labour market has traditionally been based on the principle of tripartism. As mentioned on the webpages of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment the Labour legislation is drafted in collaboration with the state and the organisations that represent the interests of employers and employees. For example, the working conditions of employees are determined on the basis of legislation and collective agreements that exist for various sectors.
Definitions and concepts
According to Statistics Finland's definition, ‘[e]mployment covers all persons – both employees and self-employed – engaged in some productive activity that falls within the production boundary of the system.’ Entrepreneurs are specifically ‘defined as persons aged 18–74 who during the last week of the year had a self-employed person's pension insurance and who were not unemployed on the last working day of the year and were not conscripts or conscientious objectors during the last week of the year.’ In addition, to be regarded as an entrepreneur, the person must meet certain wage requirements set by the Labour Force Survey.