Number of unemployed persons fell in the third quarter, but rose compared with the previous year
According to Statistics Estonia, in the third quarter of 2022, the labour force participation rate was 73.7%, the employment rate was 69.5%, and the unemployment rate was 5.6%.
There were 40,600 unemployed persons in the third quarter, which is 700 more than at the same time last year and 1,100 less than in the second quarter of 2022. There were nearly 21,200 unemployed men and nearly 19,500 unemployed women. The unemployment rate was 4.6% among Estonians and 8.5% among Russians.
“While the number of unemployed persons rose in the first half of this year, it is now falling again. Year on year, however, the number of unemployed has increased somewhat,” said Katriin Põlluäär, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia.
In the third quarter of 2022, there were 680,100 employed persons, which is 22,500 more than at the same time last year. 344,400 of the employed were men and 335,800 were women.
85% of the employed worked full-time, the rest part-time. The number of part-time workers was 102,300, up by 16,300 compared with a year ago and down by 400 compared with the second quarter of 2022. “Part-time work is more popular among women, with 70,800 women and 31,600 men working part-time in the third quarter,” noted Põlluäär.
The number of underemployed persons, i.e. persons who work part-time but would like to work more and are available for additional work within two weeks, was 6,400 in the third quarter, which is 400 people less than in the previous quarter. Compared with a year ago, the number of underemployed persons has increased by 1,500.
There were 257,600 inactive persons, 111,600 of them men and 146,000 women. The main reasons for inactivity were retirement, studies, and illness or disability.
“The number of the inactive has fallen compared with the first half of the year and the same period last year. There were 161,500 Estonians and 96,100 non-Estonians among the inactive,” Põlluäär added.
The unemployment rate is the share of the unemployed in the labour force. The employment rate is the share of the employed in the population aged 15–74. The labour force participation rate shows the share of the labour force in the population aged 15–74.
The estimates are based on the data of the Labour Force Survey conducted by Statistics Estonia since 1995. Every quarter, 5,000 persons participate in the survey. The main representative of public interest for the survey is the Ministry of Social Affairs, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data required for this statistical activity. Due to the requirements of the Integrated European Social Statistics (IESS) regulation, as of 2021, the Estonian Labour Force Survey is based on a new methodology.
The Labour Force Survey statistics include permanent residents of Estonia who live or plan to live in Estonia for at least a year or more, as well as Ukrainian war refugees under temporary protection. More information about Ukrainians in the Estonian labour market can be found in the dedicated section of short-term statistics.
More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.
See also the labour market application of Statistics Estonia and the Ministry of Social Affairs at tooturg.stat.ee (in Estonian).
For further information:
Helen Maria Raadik
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9181