One third of immigrants in Finland jobless

Ethnic discrimination partly responsible

(Helsinki 27.11.2002 - Juhani Artto) Less than two per cent of people living permanently in Finland in 2001 were foreign citizens. Compared to most other industrialised countries this figure is very low. However, Finland's foreign population increased rapidly in the 1990s. The growing immigrant flows transformed Finland into a net receiver of migrants.

In a thesis published in September 2002 researcher Annika Forsander analyses the situation of foreigners in the Finnish labour market. The most striking statistic in this field is the unemployment rate, which is roughly three times higher than the rate among Finns. Although the unemployment rate for foreigners decreased from 53 per cent in 1994 to 31 per cent in 2000, the corresponding rate for Finns fell more quickly over the same period.

Read more about the thesis on Trade Union News from Finland.