In recent years, all six regions have suffered from net out-migration, and this is still the case for Bornholm and Kainuu. During the period 1999-2003, a total of 4185 persons, 4.8 percent of the popula-tion left Kainuu. For Bornholm the equivalent figure was 283 persons or 0.6 percent.
Out-migration is primarily related to the lack of job opportunities. Unemployment in Kainuu has, recently been as high as 18 percent, while for Bornholm it remains around 10 percent.
The more work at home, the fewer leave. For the other four communities, with unemployment rates in the range of two to five percent, there has in fact been net immigration. Åland leads in this respect with a rate of 2.4 percent, for Ulstein it is 1.6, for Gotland 0.9 percent and for Eyjafjör∂ur 0.4 percent.
In terms of overall population trends, these areas also exhibit basic differences. Kainuu, Ulstein, and Bornholm experienced a population decline in the period 1999-2003, with Kainuu and Bornholm also experiencing negative net migration (see table below). Indeed Kainuu region in particular has a serious problem in terms of population decline and out-migration. In contrast, Eyjafjör∂ur, Åland, and to a lesser extent Gotland, have all experienced population growth, partly resulting from the in-migration of newcomers.