Finland

Sample

The criteria for the sampling procedure were the same as in the research design. The statistical representativeness was controlled on the basis of region, unemployment level, unemployment duration, gender and education. The sample was drawn from national unemployment registers, and included young people who were receiving either flat-rate benefits or unemployment insurance payments. The following criteria must be fulfilled in order to be included in the register:

• • 17-64 years of age;

• • capable of work;

• • a jobseeker at the employment office;

• • looking for full-time work.

Attrition analysis

The Finnish register material comprises information concerning the age, residence, education, employment and unemployment of the young people in the study, as well as the municipal unemployment level. It also gives information on spells of unemployment and employment of the young people from 1992 to 1995.

The Finnish sample consisted of 2,386 people. A total of 1,736 young people responded to the questionnaire, which gives a response rate of 73%. Seven age classes were included, the oldest subjects being born in 1970 and therefore being 24 years old at the time of the sample. The youngest were born in 1976 and were therefore 18 years old at the time of the sample. The 19- and 20-year-olds were the groups with proportionately the highest response rate – nearly 80% – whereas the response rate was 70% for the 18- and 23-year-olds. The response rate was lowest among the 24-year-olds: 62%. The overall response rate was 78% for women and 69% for men; women were, therefore, somewhat over-represented in the data. As regards variables such as education and duration of unemployment, the analysis showed that there were no significant differences between the entire sample and the respondents. The attrition analysis on the local unemployment level showed that young people from average unemployment areas (17-22%) were slightly under-represented, whereas those from high unemployment areas (>22%) were slightly over-represented (see Julkunen and Malmberg-Heimonen, 1998).

Iceland

Sample

The sample was selected from the same age groups as in the other Nordic countries, but there were some different sampling procedures. The questionnaire was sent to those who were registered as unemployed at the 20 different unemployment offices throughout Iceland.