'Finland may miss jobs target'

Finland could fall well short of its jobs aims, creating as few as 25,000 new jobs by the end of the parliamentary term against the government's target of 100,000, the prime minister said in a radio interview on Sunday.
Matti Vanhanen's comments come on the heels of increasing criticism, most recently from the Bank of Finland which last week said the government was not likely to reach its jobs aim by the end of the parliamentary term in 2007.
"This target has become extremely challenging. The economic down cycle in Europe has lasted for much longer than anticipated when the target was set," Vanhanen said in a monthly interview with national broadcaster YLE.