Finland's Labour Institute for Economic Research said in a statement Tuesday it expected the country's gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 1.8 per cent in 2010 after a projected contraction of 5.5 per cent this year, with the unemployment rate seen shooting up to 11.1 per cent next year from 8.9 per cent this year.

In its previous forecast in February the thinktank had reckoned the Finnish economy would contract by 3.7 per cent this year and by 0.7 per cent in 2010.

STT