Finland's unemployment rate rose to 8.2 per cent at the end of 2009, official data has revealed.

Statistics Finland disclosed that joblessness now affects more than 220,000 people in the country's economy, which is significantly more than the 49,000 individuals without work during the same period in 2008.

This has resulted in the unemployment rate surging by 1.8 per cent from 6.8 per cent a year earlier, RTTNews reported.

At the same time, Finland's national employment figure, which has risen for four successive years, declined by 2.3 per cent to stand at 68.3 per cent in December 2009.

Youth unemployment is a particular concern in the European country – with the jobless rate among those aged under 25 rising to 21.5 per cent in 2009.

Last month, the pollster Taloustutkimus published a study revealing that the Finnish electorate has prioritized an improvement in employment as the government's main aim for 2010.