Helsinki, May 24, 2026 – The Europe Today: Finland recorded the second-strongest economic growth among the 38 member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest OECD figures.
Finland’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 0.9 percent between January and March, more than double the OECD average growth rate of 0.4 percent for the same period.
South Korea posted the strongest economic performance among OECD members in the first quarter, with its economy growing by 1.7 percent.
Despite the strong GDP growth, Finland also recorded the highest unemployment rate among OECD countries. The country’s unemployment rate stood at 10.5 percent in March.
Spain reported the second-highest unemployment rate at 10.3 percent, while both countries remained significantly above the overall OECD average unemployment rate of five percent.
Meanwhile, Statistics Finland reported on Thursday that job vacancies continued to decline during the first quarter, extending a downward trend that has persisted since 2022.
