Number of first integration plans reaches a new high

In the first quarter of 2024, more than 5,400 first integration plans were drawn up, which is a record since the measurement began. The employment rate of foreigners has continued to fall due to the downturn. The employment rate of foreigners is more cyclically sensitive than that of Finnish citizens.

• In March, the number of unemployed foreign jobseekers totalled 42,259, which is 15 per cent of all unemployed jobseekers. The number of unemployed foreign jobseekers increased 18 per cent (6,402 persons) from the previous year. 
• The number of unemployed foreign jobseekers keeps growing. Although the increase in unemployment can be explained by the general growth in the number of foreigners in Finland, the economic downturn in the construction and manufacturing sectors has driven unemployment growth among foreigners in recent times. 
• A total of 5,464 first integration plans were drawn up in the first quarter of 2024. The figure was the highest in measuring history.
• According to the Labour Force Survey, the employment rate of foreigners was 61.4 per cent in the last quarter of 2023. The seasonally adjusted employment rate of foreign citizens fell by as much as 4.9 percentage points from the previous quarter.
  • The employment rate of foreigners remained markedly higher in the first half of 2023 than before the coronavirus crisis. However, the trend in the employment rate has now started to fall considerably due to the economic decline. The employment rate of foreigners is more cyclically sensitive than that of Finnish citizens, and the gap between them has now widened significantly.

On the basis of the register data of the Employment Service Statistics and the survey data of the Labour Force Survey, the Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration publishes a monthly review of employment among foreign citizens and foreign-language speakers and of their participation in employment promotion services.

April 2024 overview of unemployment of foreign citizens and foreign-language speakers and their participation in employment promotion services (in Finnish only)

More information:
Employment Bulletins