In the first quarter, part-time employment increased

According to Eveli Voolens, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia, the number of employed persons was 670,300 in the first quarter, which is 8,500 more compared to the same period of 2019. “Full-time employment did not change much year on year: 571,400 persons were employed full-time. The number of part-time workers has grown: there were 98,800 of them,” said Voolens.

6,900 persons were underemployed. These are persons who work part-time, but would like to work more and are available for additional work within two weeks.

The number of unemployed persons in the first quarter was 35,000, which is slightly more than at the same time last year. According to daily statistics of the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, registered unemployment started to increase at the end of March, and as at May 13, the rate of registered unemployment rate was 7.7%. Statics Estonia collected the data for the first quarter between January and March; therefore, the impact of the emergency situation caused by the coronavirus is not yet evident in the results.

The number of inactive persons in the labour market amounted to 278,900 in the first quarter, having decreased by 7,900 year on year. The main reasons for inactivity were retirement (86,200), studies (70,100) and illness or disability (62,200).

See the distribution of 15–74-year-olds by employment status in the first quarter of 2020.

The website of Statistics Estonia provides the latest information on the labour market. The section “Viiruse mõju Eestile” (Impact of the virus on Estonia), available in Estonian, includes short-term statistics on the labour market, which are updated each week on the basis of the employment register. Short-term labour market statistics show weekly change in employment relationships in Estonia.

The unemployment rate is the share of the unemployed in the labour force (the sum of employed and unemployed persons). 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, which Statistics Estonia has been conducting since 1995. Every quarter, 5,000 persons participate in the survey. For the statistical activity, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Social Affairs, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.