The population of Finland is approximately 5.5 million. The size of the country’s working age population will decrease in the years to come due to an increasing rate of retirement. At the same time, the number of immigrants is growing and people are staying at work longer. In 2021, the labour force consisted of just over 2.5 million workers. The average number of people unemployed in 2021 was approximately 210 000, and the unemployment rate was around 7.7%.
Today, most employed persons in Finland work in the service sector. The sectors employing the largest number of people are commerce, transport, hotel and catering services, education, health and social services and other services. Employment in the service industry is furthermore set to increase in the future.
Some of the biggest employers in Finland are Posti Group Oy, offering postal and courier services, and ISS palvelut Oy, which produces building and office premise management services. In Finland, the public sector is also a big employer. For example, the city of Helsinki is the largest single employer in Finland. It offers employment in the sectors of education, social and healthcare services, transport and maintenance.
Employers’ requirements regarding the staff they employ vary greatly according to the job. The absence of suitable employees in Finland is often due to jobseekers’ inadequate training or lack of relevant work experience or specialist skills.
Information on the coronavirus situation and its possible effects on working in Finland can be found in the following sources:
https://infofinland.fi/health/coronavirus-covid-19
https://tem.fi/en/information-on-coronavirus
Finland uses a system that provides detailed information on which professions and occupations have a demand for or possible lack of workers (the Occupational Barometer).
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
|
Job portal | |
Suomi.fi service | |
Event page of the EURES portal |
In Finland, most of the vacancies advertised are in the social healthcare services sector, the construction industry, and the service and retail sector (demand is particularly high in sales). There is a particular shortage of labour availability in the following professions (source: Occupational Barometer, from where you can also check current data):
- Healthcare assistants
- Qualified nurses and public healthcare nurses
- Social work specialists
- Specialist medical practitioners
- General practitioners
- Early childhood education professionals (daycare teachers)
- Audiologists and speech therapists
- Dentists
- Home-based personal care workers
- Psychologists
- Restaurant and catering staff
- Office and workplace cleaners
- Specialist teachers
- Senior nurses and ward nurses
- Foremen in the construction sector
Most of the unemployment in Finland is in the industrial, technical, art, administrative and office work sectors. There is oversupply particularly in the following professional groups:
- General secretaries
- Travel agency clerks
- Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and hatters
- Journalists
- Administrative and executive secretaries
- Printers
- Pre-press technicians
- Graphic and multimedia designers
- Information and communications technology installers, servicers
- Finishing processors and bindery workers
- Other specialists in the art and cultural industries
- Social and cultural researchers
- Library clerks
- Advertising and marketing professionals
- Visual artists
Uusimaa has a good regional economic status, as it includes the Helsinki metropolitan area and serves as a hub for business and the central government. The Uusimaa region produces 39% of Finland’s GDP, and it has the highest educational attainment level in Finland. The coronavirus crisis that started in early 2020 was particularly severe in Uusimaa due to its service-oriented business structure. However, now that the worst of the crisis has passed, Uusimaa has bounced back faster than the rest of Finland. The number of laid-off employees has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and unemployment is decreasing. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022, is a new crisis affecting Uusimaa, and it has resulted in increased energy prices and decreased willingness to invest. In July 2022, the population of Uusimaa totalled 1.7 million, and the population projection for 2040 is 1.9 million. Uusimaa’s demographic structure is younger than in other parts of the country, and there is a particularly large number of working aged people under 40.
Uusimaa has a high degree of specialisation. The Helsinki metropolitan area strongly specialises in the service industries. The area is also the centre of public authority. The electronics and electrical industries are the area’s only industrial specialities. The construction industry plays a large role in several Uusimaa areas. Metal and oil product refining and manufacturing chemical products are also important to Uusimaa.
Uusimaa is ranked 10th by the European Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI) and the second most innovative region in Europe. In addition, the European Committee of the Regions has selected Uusimaa as the European Entrepreneurial Region for 2022. Uusimaa is easy to reach by road, rail, sea and air. There are differences between the different areas of Uusimaa, and on the outskirts of the region, poorer public transport connections make some areas more difficult to reach and less generally attractive than the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The main working language is Finnish, although English is used as a working language in many international jobs requiring high-level expertise, particularly the research and ICT sectors. Compared to the rest of Finland, in Uusimaa it is easier to get by using English. There are more with Swedish as their mother tongue in Uusimaa than in Finland as a whole, so Swedish is also useful.
Links:
Regional Development Prospects | |
Occupational Barometer | |
|
The lack of skilled workers and professional workers is a significant growth-inhibiting factor in Uusimaa. The Confederation of Finnish Industries and Employers’ economic barometer has highlighted the lack of professional workers, and 37% of companies expected it to inhibit their growth.
The growing Uusimaa IT sector, centralised to the Helsinki metropolitan area, has high demand for competent workers, and some of the employees already working in the field also need to update their skills. The lack of workers is severe in the construction sector. In some industries, there is a mismatch, i.e. there are both many unemployed jobseekers in the industry and many vacancies, but for some reason these do not match.
According to the employment statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, in August 2022, most vacancies were for sales representatives, salespersons, freight handlers and warehouse workers, and for restaurant and catering staff. The social care and healthcare sector, the early childhood education and care sector, the construction industry, and the restaurant industry are the largest among the fifteen industries with the greatest worker shortages. The shortage of competent social care and healthcare sector workers is severe and is only exacerbated by the fact that fewer people are applying for degree programmes in the field.
Recovering from the pandemic is the current job market trend. In 2022, the unemployment rate has decreased significantly compared to the previous year, but there are still around 10,000 more unemployed jobseekers than in August 2018 and 2019. People in Uusimaa are comparatively young and highly educated. In August 2022, 19% of all unemployed jobseekers were under 30, and 36% were over 50. The employment trend for people who have just graduated from a higher education institution is positive, and their unemployment rate is at a record low.
As a special characteristic of Uusimaa, the share of non-Finnish jobseekers is large, although the unemployment rate for the same group is also high. In some industries, e.g. the IT sector, English is becoming increasingly common as the primary working language. However, some companies still find it challenging to employ people who do not speak Finnish.
In August 2022, salespersons, freight handlers and warehouse workers, and office and workplace cleaners were the professions with the largest number of unemployed people. There is also an oversupply of secretaries. The biggest challenges in finding employment in Uusimaa are associated with the outdated skills of the unemployed jobseekers and the high level of skills and expertise expected by employers. A large share of employees being inexperienced and a lack of time for proper induction are difficult situations for companies. The region also has several industries and sectors that simultaneously have a large demand for labour and multiple vacancies.
Situated on the southwest coast, Southwest Finland is one of Finland’s growth centres, characterised by rising employment and net immigration. The region is in many ways a microcosm of Finland. It is in many senses one of Finland’s major hubs: in agriculture and food production, the metal industry, commerce, services and education. Turku has good transport connections with the rest of Finland: for example, both trains and buses run to Helsinki at hourly intervals (the journey takes two hours). There are ships to Stockholm and the Åland Islands every day. There are also direct connections from Turku airport to the rest of Europe.
About half a million people live in Southwest Finland. Turku, the capital of Southwest Finland, has one of Finland’s largest concentrations of higher education institutions (the Finnish-speaking University of Turku, the Swedish-speaking Åbo Akademi and the universities of applied sciences Novia, Humak and Diak). The population of the Turku economic area is approximately 330 000, of whom 40 000 are students in higher education institutions. As a former Hanseatic League city, Turku has traditionally had plenty of contact with the rest of Europe. The region is quite international, as shown by the fact that in Turku, the share of people under 40 who speak languages other than Finnish is over 15% and the share of people who speak Swedish is over 5% of the total population.
The largest employers in Southwest Finland operate in the shipping, vehicle, pharmaceutical, metals and food industries. The industrial structure is gradually changing, and work involving services, customer service and consultancy is increasing in both the service and industrial sectors. However, skilled shop floor labour is still in demand in industry. The retail sector and consumer services will also be recruiting an increasing number of people in the near future. Examples of individual growth sectors include software development, construction, energy and environmental technology and financial management.
In terms of manufacturing, the region is export-oriented, since around half of its manufacturing output is exported, mainly to the rest of Europe. Southwest Finland is a service-intensive region, since the service sector employs 70% of all workers. As an administrative and educational centre, there are also many jobs in the public sector. With regard to private sector services, there is strong growth in business and consultancy services alongside the more traditional commercial, transport and hotel and catering sectors. The metal and technology sectors such as the automotive industry (Valmet Automotive Inc.), shipbuilding (Meyer Turku Ltd.), and machinery and electronics industries (e.g. Wärtsilä, Sandvik and Teleste) play a major part in industry, but the promising future for biotechnology and other such industries is based on the strength of research in this sector, as well as its associated extensive medical and diagnostic industry (e.g. Bayer, Orion and Wallac). Agriculture and the food industry (e.g. Raisio, Nestle, Lunden-Jalostaja, and Eckes-Granini Finland Oy) remain significant employers in the region, and specialisation in the sector forms a basis for development and continuity.
Unemployment in Southwest Finland has been slightly lower than the national average, and the number of new vacancies of various kinds has been proportionately greater than in the rest of the country. The region needs a diverse range of professionals, with both vocational qualifications and university degrees. There are now hardly any jobs available for jobseekers who do not have vocational training. Work experience in the relevant sector and personal qualities that are appropriate for the job are also very important selection criteria. In times of economic strength, professionals in the industrial, construction, transportation and care sectors tend to be in short supply.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the professions and occupations where there is a demand for or lack of workers.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
At least temporarily, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the two cornerstones of the area’s labour market, the shipbuilding and automotive industries; the Meyer Turku Ltd shipyard has had to resort to employee cooperation negotiations and terminations as a result of the postponements of cruise ship orders and the uncertain situation of the entire cruise industry caused by the coronavirus crisis. Meyer Turku has invested heavily in the future of the company and was planning to drastically increase its capacity in the coming years, which would have resulted in a significant number of additional recruits.
Due to the coronavirus crisis in the automotive industry, Valmet Automotive Inc. also had to hold employee cooperation negotiations, which resulted in different lay-off arrangements affecting both waged and salaried employees while avoiding terminations. However, the car manufacturing plant has already recalled a large share of laid-off workers back to work, so the situation has started to gradually return to normal.
In contrast, there has been positive news from the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industries, which are actively recruiting despite the pandemic or actually partly because of it.
However, the labour market is generally characterised by the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, shipbuilding and automotive manufacturing have a vast network of subcontractors, so changes in these two industries can be seen across the labour market in Southwest Finland.
In Southwest Finland, there is an ongoing need to fill vacancies in the social and healthcare services sector (physicians, qualified nurses and geriatric carers). In these vacancies, Finnish language skills are often highly important.
New labour is also increasingly required in agriculture (agricultural workers, substitute workers, and garden workers in the summer) and as waiters and chefs in the catering sector during the summer season, particularly in the archipelago.
As the labour force ages, the number of people leaving the labour force is many times greater than the increase in jobs. Because of this, new labour is required in all sectors, even in those professions where the actual number of jobs is decreasing.
In Southwest Finland, there have been fewer unemployed people than in Finland on average. However, the number of long-term unemployed people has grown despite the high labour demand. There is a relatively high level of unemployment in office and secretarial work and among non-Finns.
The general cause of unemployment is a lack of vocational training and/or gaps in expertise in relation to the demands of work. In many professions, the rise in the required level of know-how for jobs results in both increased unemployment and labour shortages.
Job requirements have changed in recent years, since mere technical skills are not always enough: personal qualities are also important. A willingness to learn, communication skills and a sense of team spirit are important qualities on which to build new technical skills too. Today, work requires continuous training and learning.
Satakunta lies on the west coast of Finland. In 2021, the population of Satakunta was 214 300. The biggest cities in the region are Pori and Rauma. Both the population and the labour force of the region have declined in recent years. The region’s unemployment rate was 8.1% in 2021, which is below the national average. In 2021, the average number of unemployed jobseekers in the labour administration’s unemployment register was around 10 040.
Satakunta has the largest manufacturing industry in Finland in terms of the number of people employed by the industry and the share of exports. Strong industries in Satakunta include the technology industry, the food industry, the packaging industry, the forest industry, energy production, the chemical industry, construction, and industrial technologies and services. The largest employers in Satakunta are Teollisuuden Voima Oyj, Satakunnan Osuuskauppa, HKScan Finland Oy, Boliden Harjavalta Oy and Oras Oy. The maritime industry has grown stronger in the last few years. In particular, the shipbuilding industry, including Rauma Marine Constructions Oy and the associated chain of subcontractors, employ a large number of both metal industry workers and experts in design jobs requiring engineering skills. A rapidly growing sector is the automation, robotics and programming cluster, which already directly employs nearly 1,300 people per year and even more indirectly. Other developing industries include business services, adventure tourism, and wellness, culture and event services and tourism.
Satakunta’s economy has seen significant growth in recent years. This upward trend is also reflected in the employment rate. In 2022, there was a record number of vacancies, and the number of unemployed jobseekers has dropped to the lowest level in decades.
Satakunta offers a wide range of professional training and vocational education. There is also a wide range of higher education available. The University Consortium of Pori consists of four different universities, and students can mix and match learning modules to incorporate them into their eventual qualification.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and in which there is no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
Recently, most vacancies have been in services and sales, as well as construction, renovation and manufacturing. Satakunta has jobs for professionals, including chefs, waiters, sales assistants, healthcare assistants, various construction workers, welders and flame cutters, various mechanics, repair technicians, and electricians. The cleaning industry also has vacancies. Agriculture and sectors such as food processing have vacancies for seasonal work in particular. Jobs requiring a higher educational level are also available in Satakunta. For example, the technology industry is constantly recruiting mechanical engineers and electrical and automation engineers.
In addition to the social care and healthcare sector, a lack of workers is seen in several other service industries and in manufacturing and construction. In many tasks requiring specialised skills, there is a lack of both specialists and basic workers.
The highest numbers of unemployed people are in construction, repair and manufacturing, as well as in services and sales. Another large group is unemployed jobseekers with no vocational training (with no profession, or whose profession is unknown). Many salespeople, healthcare assistants, general secretaries, and housebuilders are unemployed. However, the number of unemployed workers does not directly provide information about the availability of labour, because there is a lack of healthcare assistants and cleaners, even though many people working in these fields are unemployed. There is only a significant surplus of general secretaries.
Kanta-Häme is in southern Finland, about an hour’s journey by train or car from the capital Helsinki and southern Finland’s other largest cities. The largest city in the region is Hämeenlinna. The employment area is significantly larger than the area of Kanta-Häme because of commuting. People commute to the Helsinki metropolitan area but also to places such as Tampere. They also commute from the Helsinki metropolitan area to the region. Opportunities for multilocational and remote work have increased in tasks that allow them.
The population of Kanta-Häme was 170 213 at the end of 2021. Over the years, the population has declined due to negative natural increase and net migration between municipalities. However, the region has enjoyed a positive migration balance in recent years and has gained new residents from other municipalities. The share of the total population under 15 years of age is slightly lower than the national average, while the share of those over 64 is above the national average. As in many other regions, the challenge is to ensure the availability of a skilled labour force. The region’s employment rate is higher than the national average, while the unemployment rate is lower.
The region enjoys a versatile business and skill structure. Industry has traditionally been a strong business sector, but economic transformation has strengthened the service sector. However, the percentage of employment in industry remains above the national average, while the percentage for the service sector is lower than the national average. The share of jobs in the public sector further stabilises the regional economy. There are also large and internationalised companies in the area. The machinery and metal industry, agriculture, and the food industry have traditionally been strong sectors in the region. The region has a lot of activity related to the bio- and circular economies, the development of natural resources, and related business. The circumstances are favourable for the development of the bio- and circular economies. There is a lot tourism in the region, and the sector is still growing. The region also has developing logistics hubs.
In 2020, the largest employers in Kanta-Häme were the City of Hämeenlinna, the joint municipal authority of the Kanta-Häme Hospital District, Sarastia Rekry Oy, the City of Riihimäki, the Welfare District of Forssa (FSHKY), SSAB Europe Oy, Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa, the municipality of Janakkala, the Finnish Defence Forces, Würth Oy, Valio Oy, the City of Forssa, HAMK University of Applied Sciences, HKScan Finland Oy, Lidl Suomi, the municipality of Hattula, Konecranes Finland Oy and the Tavastia Education Consortium.
Kanta-Häme offers a wide range of professional training and vocational education opportunities. University education is unavailable in the region, but the Summer University of Häme organises some higher education courses from the degree programmes of various Finnish universities.
The Occupational Barometer provides information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
The economic structure in this area is diverse. The service sector is the largest employer, although it accounts for a smaller share of jobs than the national average. In 2019, many new vacancies were reported to public employment services in sales (e.g. sales assistants, sales representatives and call centre salespersons), social care and healthcare services (e.g. healthcare assistants, qualified nurses, social advisors and counsellors), manufacturing (e.g. metal and machining industries and food industry), and construction and logistics (freight handlers, warehouse workers).
According to the Occupational Barometer, there is a shortage of labour availability for the following professions:
- Specialist teachers
- Social work specialists
- Nurses and public health nurses
- Healthcare assistants
- Home-based personal care workers
- Psychologists
- Social advisors and counsellors
- Student counsellors and other teaching specialists
- General practitioners
- Specialist medical practitioners
- Dentists
- Audiologists and speech therapists
- Oral hygienists
- Physical therapists
- Other healthcare sector workers
A lack of suitable employees is often due to jobseekers’ inadequate or incompatible training or a lack of relevant work experience or specialist skills. Fewer and fewer jobs are available that require a low level of education, while there is demand for specialist knowledge. The number of experienced workers is decreasing, and companies need guidance in this. Competition for workers is more heated.
Unemployment increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has now returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels. The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been small, but all its effects have yet to materialise. The labour market is more polarised than ever: short-term unemployment is at a record low, while the number of long-term unemployed people is increasing. Maintaining professional competence while being unemployed for a longer period is difficult. At the same time, difficulty recruiting a skilled workforce has increased in many sectors.
The largest number of unemployed jobseekers in the TE Office and in local government pilots on employment are found among construction, repair, manufacturing, and service and sales workers. There is also a large group with no profession.
Professions may have both unemployment and a labour shortage at the same time due to a mismatch between skills and other requirements. There is also a growing need for multi-skilled staff. To secure the availability of labour, there is an increasing need for individual study paths and business solutions.
According to the Occupational Barometer, there is an oversupply particularly in the following professional groups:
- General secretaries
- Visual artists
- Musicians, singers and composers
- Advertising and marketing professionals
- Administrative and executive secretaries
- Journalists
- Medical secretaries
- Bank tellers and related clerks
- Travel agency clerks
- Hairdressers and barbers
- Furniture makers
- Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and hatters
- Upholsterers
- Hand packers
- Helpdesk staff
Päijät-Häme is in South Finland, and has especially good connections to the Helsinki metropolitan area. Päijät-Häme’s largest city, Lahti, is about an hour’s journey by train or car from the capital Helsinki. However, the employment area is significantly larger than the Päijät-Häme area. People mainly commute to the Helsinki metropolitan area and elsewhere in the Uusimaa region. They also commute from the Helsinki metropolitan area to the region. There is also a significant number of commuters from Kanta-Häme and Kymenlaakso to Päijät-Häme. Opportunities for multilocational and remote work have increased in tasks that allow them.
The population of Päijät-Häme was 205 124 at the end of 2019. In recent years, the region has seen negative population change due to negative natural population increase. However, Päijät-Häme has enjoyed positive net migration in the migration movement between regions. The share of people under 15 years of age of the total population is below the national average, while the share of those over 64 is above the national average. The region’s employment rate is below the national average, while the unemployment rate is above the national average, being one of the highest among all regions.
Päijät-Häme has a varied business structure, with many SMEs engaged in export activities. More than a third of the region’s jobs are either in social care and healthcare services or manufacturing. The manufacturing industry employs a significantly larger share of people and the construction industry a slightly larger share compared with national employment figures. The industrial structure is also considerably more varied than the regional average. Correspondingly, compared to the national average, the businesses in the region employ fewer people in the IT industry; professional, scientific and technical activities; the finance and insurance industry; and administrative and support service activities. Significant investments in the food industry and the circular economy provide opportunities for future development, and the region’s electronic transport cluster is also growing. Retail is also a large employer. Päijät-Häme is also Finland’s strongest family business region. The region also has strong food processing companies, and it is a nationally significant producer of grains. Tourism is a significant and growing industry in the region, and it has strong competence in exercise and sports, large events and travel, as well as activities in these focusing on international customers.
In 2020, the largest employers in Päijät-Häme were the Päijät-Häme welfare area, the City of Lahti, Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa, the City of Heinola, the Municipality of Hollola, Salpaus Further Education, Koskisen Oy, the City of Orimattila, Päijät-Hämeen Laitoshuoltopalvelut Oy,
Raute Oyj, Fazer Leipomot Oy, Wipak Oy, Stora Enso Oyj, Kemppi Oy, Isku Interior Oy, Versowood Oy, Oy Hartwall Ab and the Municipality of Asikkala.
LUT University has a satellite campus, Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT, in the region’s central city of Lahti. Päijät-Häme offers a wide range of professional training and vocational education and higher education opportunities (Lahti University of Applied Sciences LAB).
The Occupational Barometer provides information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
The economic structure in this area is diverse. The service sector is the largest employer, although it accounts for a smaller share of jobs than the national average. In 2021, most new vacancies reported to public employment services were in sales (e.g. sales assistants, sales representatives and call centre salespersons), social services and healthcare (e.g. healthcare assistants, qualified nurses), and in construction, manufacturing (e.g. wood and timber processing, food processing, assembly of machined and metalwork products) and logistics (freight handlers, warehouse workers).
According to the Occupational Barometer, there is a shortage of labour availability for the following professions:
- Electrical and automation engineers
- Electronics specialists
- General practitioners
- Specialist medical practitioners
- Senior nurses and ward nurses
- Dentists
- Audiologists and speech therapists
- Early childhood education professionals, daycare teachers
- Psychologists
- Social work specialists
- Qualified nurses and public healthcare nurses
- Oral hygienists
- Healthcare assistants
- Mechanical engineers
- Telecommunications and information technology engineers
A lack of suitable employees is often due to jobseekers’ inadequate or incompatible training or a lack of relevant work experience or specialist skills. Fewer and fewer jobs are available that require a low level of education, while there is demand for specialist knowledge. The number of experienced workers is decreasing, and companies need guidance in this. Competition for workers is more heated.
The Occupational Barometer provides information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand.
Unemployment increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has now returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels. The impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been small, but all its effects have yet to materialise. The labour market is more polarised than ever: short-term unemployment is at a record low, while the number of long-term unemployed people is increasing. Maintaining professional competence while being unemployed for a longer period is difficult. The region has the largest share of long-term unemployed people. At the same time, difficulty recruiting a skilled workforce has increased in many sectors.
The largest number of unemployed jobseekers in the TE Office and in local government pilots on employment are found among construction, repair, manufacturing, and service and sales workers. There is also a large group with no profession.
Professions may have both unemployment and a labour shortage at the same time due to a mismatch between skills and other requirements. There is also a growing need for multi-skilled staff. To secure the availability of labour, there is an increasing need for individual study paths and business solutions.
According to the Occupational Barometer, there is an oversupply particularly in the following professional groups:
- Product and clothing designers
- Graphic and multimedia designers
- Advertising and marketing professionals
- Journalists
- Helpdesk staff
- General secretaries
- Bank tellers and related clerks
- Library clerks
- Cosmetologists
- Cashiers and ticket clerks
In June 2022, the population of Pirkanmaa was 529 000, and its dependency ratio was 60%. The region comprises five sub-regions and 23 municipalities. Finland has 19 regions, and Pirkanmaa is the second largest populated region. In 2020–2021, the population changed by 0.9%. The number of employed persons in June 2022 was around 250 000 , and the employment rate was 74%. The average total of vacancies in early 2022 was 13 600 , the largest number in 15 years. At the end of 2021,there were 38 900 companies in Pirkanmaa, which employed more than 170 000 people. The number of new businesses in 2021 was around 950.
In terms of the labour market situation, 2022 continues in a similar vein to the final quarter of 2021. Between Q2/2021 and Q1/2022, demand for labour grew in all sectors so significantly that the supply has been unable to keep up. The number of new vacancies in 2022 is the best indicator of this. Economic growth requires workers, which is reflected in the job postings published by companies. In exports, strong industries include the forest industry; plastic, rubber and chemical manufacturing; and the machining and metal industries.
At the end of 2022, the number of unemployed jobseekers was at the same level as in early 2019, i.e. at the pre-pandemic level. The share of the unemployed of the total labour force was 7.9% in September 2022. The most significant changes in demand were seen in the Tampere sub-region, where a large share of industries has been faced with labour supply issues. The demand is easier to categorise in the other sub-regions and mostly affects the social service and healthcare sector, the education sector, the hospitality sector and the cleaning sector. Signals of changes in the demand for labour can be detected in the South and Southwest Pirkanmaa labour sector, where there is a lack of assembly and metal workers, food processing workers, wood and sawmill industry workers, machine assembly workers and welders.
Pirkanmaa’s central geographical location brings many opportunities, and Tampere in particular is ranked among the most popular municipalities to live in every year. Based on estimates for 2022, the status of export companies is good. The most significant factor is that the transport of goods seems to function well, and the fact that any bottlenecks in production are likely to be easily managed. Finding skilled labour is a challenge. In 2023, challenges resulting from the price of energy, the availability of intermediate goods and components, and rising interest rates are expected.
The share of Pirkanmaa of all goods transport in Finland is 10%, and the route between Tampere and Helsinki is the third busiest in the country. Around 80% of all Finland’s industry operates within an hours’ drive of the urban areas of Tampere, and 80% of all patent applications are submitted, 80% of investments in R&D are made, and 70% of the working population and nearly 70% of people with a higher education degree live within the same area. There are 1 300 ICT companies, 4 700 AI and analytics specialists, and more than 50 000 university and vocational students in the Tampere region.
Sources:
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (only in Finnish) | https://www.ely-keskus.fi/tyovoiman-maahanmuutto Pirkanmaan aluetalouskatsaus II 2022 [Pirkanmaa regional economy review II 2022] |
The Council of Tampere Region | https://www.pirkanmaa.fi/tietoa-pirkanmaasta/
|
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Employment Bulletin | https://www.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi/graph/tkat/tkat.aspx?ssid=220912091630809&lang=FI&top=2&sub=21 https://www.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi/Textbase/Tkat-04/Pdf/Tkat_fi.pdf |
The future employment situation is expected to develop so that a labour shortage will affect an increasing number of professions. When assessing the availability of skilled labour and discussing different sectors, it must be said that in the last six months the availability of skilled labour has become challenging in nearly every sector. According to the SME barometer, one in three companies needs to find more employees. In Pirkanmaa, the following sectors are struggling with recruitment: social and healthcare services, the metal industry, the energy industry, construction, business services at all degree levels, the hospitality industry, the education sector, and some parts of the ICT industry. This is affected by wage policies, for example.
The greatest labour need is in relation to the following professions: machine and electrical engineers, construction engineers, ICT workers, accounting associate professionals, payroll clerks, head chefs, cleaning managers, building management workers, all professions in housebuilding and related tasks, e.g. bricklayers, housebuilders, carpenters, concrete finishers, pipelayers, air conditioning mechanics, welders, metal working machine tool setters and operators, motor vehicle mechanics, building and related electricians, assemblers in the machining and electronics industries, lorry and earthmoving vehicle operators, construction labourers, kitchen helpers, fast food preparers. Public sector labour needs are excluded from this list.
Sources:
Pirkanmaan Ammattibarometri I/2022 [Pirkanmaa Occupational Barometer I/2022] | https://www.ammattibarometri.fi/vertailu.asp?maakunta=pirkanmaa&vuosi=22i&kieli= |
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (only in Finnish) | https://www.ely-keskus.fi/tyovoiman-maahanmuutto Pirkanmaan aluetalouskatsaus II 2022 [Pirkanmaa regional economy review II 2022] |
At the end of 2022, the number of unemployed jobseekers was at the same level as in early 2019, i.e. at the pre-pandemic level. However, the availability of skilled labour has become challenging in the last six months in nearly all sectors.
There is a surplus of workers in the following professions in Pirkanmaa (summary of the labour market development in the sub-regions):
- Visual artists
- Musicians, singers and composers
- General secretaries
- Advertising and marketing professionals
- Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and hatters
- Administrative and executive secretaries
- Product and clothing designers
- Graphic and multimedia designers
- Social and cultural researchers
- Photographers
- Travel agency clerks
- Sales assistants
Source:
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (only in Finnish) | |
Pirkanmaan Ammattibarometri I/2022 [Pirkanmaa Occupational Barometer I/2022] | https://www.ammattibarometri.fi/vertailu.asp?maakunta=pirkanmaa&vuosi=22i&kieli= |
Kymenlaakso is located a good 100 kilometres from the capital Helsinki. The region has a population of 162 800 Kymenlaakso consists of two centres and their surrounding rural areas. The Kotka–Hamina region to the south, located on the coast, and the Kouvola region further to the north have populations of roughly the same size. The region’s population has decreased due to internal migration within Finland, but is increasing as a result of migration from elsewhere. Migration away from the region slowed significantly during the coronavirus crisis. The working age population is falling more rapidly than the population as a whole. In 2021, 12.6% of the workforce was unemployed (9.2% nationally, employment statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment).
Kymenlaakso’s location and the development of logistics are its strengths. Kymenlaakso and the entire area of Southeast Finland are characterised on the one hand by their location near the Helsinki metropolitan area, and on the other by the shared border with Russia and the proximity of St. Petersburg. The area is divided by the railway line from Helsinki to Russia via Kouvola, and by the north-south railway, which is used mainly for cargo transport. There are relatively large numbers of commuters from this region to Helsinki and its surrounding municipalities. A train ride from Kouvola to Helsinki takes 1.5 hours. Social and healthcare services are the largest employer. The role of industry is still significant in Kymenlaakso’s business structure. The region’s strong export industry relies almost entirely on industrial products. In addition to the pulp and paper industry and the metals industry, the region’s industrial sectors include building materials, chemicals and food. The ongoing economic transformation has gradually diversified the region’s economic structure. Opportunities for new growth are increasingly sought in the support and modernisation of traditional industries (including the forest industry, the metal industry, smart logistics, the development of tourism, the food industry) and in completely new sectors such as gamification, audio-visual services, cybersecurity and smart packaging materials. Trade and logistics employ many people in Kymenlaakso. Tourism is not yet a very big industry. In addition to the largest cities, the major employers include Social and Health Services in Kymenlaakso, Kymi Region Cooperative Society, the Finnish Defence Forces, Steveco, VR and UPM.
Public services are also important employers. In addition to social services and healthcare, major public sector employers include the Finnish Customs, Finnish Border Guard and the Finnish Defence Forces. Despite the reduction in the labour force, agriculture is still an important sector, offering some seasonal jobs.
The occupational barometer provides additional information on the short-term outlook on demand for various professions.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
Approximately 18 600 new vacancies were reported to the TE Office between January and December 2021, which is 14% more than in the previous year (nationally: +14%). Most vacancies were for office and workplace cleaners, salespersons, healthcare assistants, sales representatives, home-based personal care workers and building management workers.
The region always needs social and healthcare service workers. In particular, physicians, healthcare assistants, qualified nurses, dentists, X-ray nurses and psychologists are in short supply. There is also a lack of restaurant and catering service workers. Skilled metal industry professionals are in demand. In manufacturing, engineers, maintenance staff and international trade professionals are needed.
In the service professions, some work can also be found with little work experience, but a general requirement is to have relevant training and work experience for the sector and normally also the ability to speak Finnish.
In some sectors, it is difficult to find competent jobseekers. Job applicants include both recent graduates and people with years of work experience. There are many jobseekers with experience in secretarial and office work or services such as advertising and marketing. The importance of specialist work is reflected in recruitments, and local jobseekers are not available for all jobs.
South Karelia consists of two urban centres, located fairly close to each other, and the surrounding dynamic rural areas. The area has a population of around 125 400. Of the urban centres, Lappeenranta is the larger one, while Imatra, further east, is smaller. The most significant feature of South Karelia’s location is its proximity to Russia and to the city of St Petersburg. There are good road links across the border from this region. It is also not far from the Helsinki metropolitan area. The region is losing some of its population to internal migration within Finland, but is receiving additional people from elsewhere as a result of immigration. The working age population is falling more rapidly than the population as a whole. The number of unemployed people in South Karelia was , which is 5 410 less than in the previous year (-7%). Compared to 2019, the number of unemployed people in South Karelia has decreased by 5%. At the end of August 2022, 601 unemployed jobseekers in South Karelia were not Finnish nationals (+80%, +15%).
Our region has relatively few unemployed Ukrainians (197 persons), but the total has increased significantly in the last month, by as much as 838%. In particular, there are many unemployed Ukrainians in Imatra, where they account for 4% of all unemployed people (50 persons). After Russians, Ukrainians are the second largest nationality in Southeast Finland.
The two largest employers in the region are social and healthcare services and the manufacturing industry. South Karelia is home to one of Europe’s most important forest industry clusters. Many other strong sectors in the region, including the metal industry, machinery and equipment repair, and storage and transport support services also have close ties with the forest industry. In addition to forest and bio-economic competence, there is a strong environmental and energy cluster in the area that produces new innovations and new growth-oriented business. In particular, the Lappeenranta area is known as a pioneer in the energy economy, the circular economy and the sustainable business sector. The energy and environment sector, especially service and expertise sectors, creates major opportunities. The Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT offers degree programmes in social sciences in addition to economics and technology. The university is also significant in providing a boost to the region’s business life. In addition to the largest cities, major employers include South Karelia Social and Health Care District, Stora Enso, Saimaan tukipalvelut, LUT, UPM and Ovako. Services connected with the Finland–Russia border are also important employers.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a larger impact on South Karelian businesses than on other Finnish businesses. Ukraine is the fifth and Russia the seventh largest destination country for South Karelia’s non-EU exports. Significant changes to trade with Russia are expected in particular. Among others, forest products, metal and machining products, chemistry and mining products, and technology products have been exported to Russia from South Karelia. In addition to natural gas and oil, wood raw materials and minerals have been imported from Russia to Finland, among other goods. Russian tourism has already been practically non-existent in South Karelia for the last two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and no change to this is expected in the near future because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
In August, 2 554 new vacancies were reported to the TE Office for Southeast Finland.
This is 4% more than in the previous year. Of these new vacancies, 84% were reported by the private sector. Of the new vacancies, 65% were for employment lasting more than one year. Most new vacancies were for salespersons, healthcare assistants, sales representatives, home-based personal care workers, and office and workplace cleaners.
Last year, unemployment decreased in nearly all professions. The most significant decrease was seen in the construction, renovation and manufacturing worker professions. The decrease was also significant in the professions of service and sales workers. The unemployment rate for specialists decreased most in relative terms. The unemployment rate for people in the armed forces grew.
The largest increase in the number of vacancies from the previous year was seen in the specialist and service and sales worker professions. The largest relative increase was seen in vacancies for farmers and forest workers. The number of vacancies for process and transport sector workers decreased. Most new vacancies were for salespersons, healthcare assistants, sales representatives, home-based personal care workers, and office and workplace cleaners.
Growing sectors for the future include energy and the environment, ICT, and wellness and sports tourism.
Lappeenranta is already a significant centre of competence in the information technology field that is showing strong growth. For example, there is a need for IT sales professionals, digital designers and software developers with a university or university of applied sciences background. The demand is not only in software companies but also in industry and many other sectors. There is also a demand for highly skilled workers in the environmental, energy, health and social sectors (in particular doctors, bio-analysts, social service experts and healthcare assistants). The metal industry needs skilled workers, and there is a shortage of hospitality sector workers and electrical and automation engineers.
Currently, many industries have a shortage of labour. The number of unemployed people has decreased in all municipalities in Southeast Finland. Unemployed jobseekers accounted for 9.6% of the labour force in South Karelia.
There is a surplus of secretaries and office clerks, IT user support technicians, and advertising and marketing workers. There is a significantly larger number of vacancies in South Karelia this year than in the previous year. In contrast, the number of jobseekers has decreased significantly compared with the previous year. The growing importance of specialist work is reflected in recruitment, and local jobseekers are not available for all jobs.
South Savo is a sparsely populated region of great natural beauty in Eastern Finland with 131 175 inhabitants. The average number of residents per square kilometre is around 11. Inland waterways account for 22% of South Savo’s total area of 17 100 square kilometres, which contributes to the fragmentation and growing distances of the regional structure. South Savo is one of Finland’s main holiday home areas. The increased volume of holiday home business and domestic tourism was reflected positively in the demand for services this summer. For the most part, holiday home companies have operated with a good occupancy rate.
In July 2022, the unemployment rate in South Savo was 10.2%. The total number of unemployed people is 5 719, of whom about 290 were laid off. Due to retirements and other exits from the labour market, there will be nearly 10 000 vacancies for jobseekers in 2022–2025; however, structural change in the production sector will result in the permanent loss of some ‘traditional’ jobs. There is and will continue to be an increased demand for workers from outside Finland.
There are approximately 48 000 year-round jobs in South Savo. Demand for labour increases in the summer because tourism and agriculture are important sectors for the region. There is not much commuting by public transport, except for in the cities, mainly because people use their own modes of transport to get to work. Labour mobility into rural regions is particularly low.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the professions and occupations where there is demand for or even an oversupply of workers. In September 2022, there was a shortage of health and social service professionals in particular in services for the elderly and disabled, especially in South Savo and Pieksämäki. The situation varies enormously from one region or municipality to another.
Links:
Miksei Oy | |
Savonlinna Business Services | |
Pieksämäki City Business Services | |
Occupational Barometer |
In the years to come, there will be a need for labour, at least in the healthcare and social welfare professions where there are eligibility requirements. In terms of volume, the demand is greatest for healthcare assistants and qualified nurses. However, the greatest challenge is in finding staff for social services. In the case of Pieksämäki, it is forecast that the geriatric and disabled care sectors will remain strong, and that there will even be a shortage of labour in these sectors. A non-national workforce employed in seasonal agricultural work is of great importance here. Farms in South Savo employ up to 3 000 non-national seasonal workers annually. Restrictions on movement imposed due to the coronavirus have resulted in major issues. Some of the agricultural work available is demanding professional work, and some is more menial. The core areas of the regional strategy in South Savo are forestry, water and food. A large number of workers is needed especially for upstream tasks (repairs, transport) in the forest industry. For example, in industrial work and cleaning, there are positions that are difficult to fill. Almost all the enterprises in South Savo are fairly small, so they are not listed here.
In the case of South Savo, the most significant labour reserve is still unemployed jobseekers, although in the non-medical care sector, the reserves are extremely scarce, especially in Pieksämäki. In contrast, there is an abundant labour reserve for sales work and office work, but in these professions, there are also tasks that require specialist expertise, which is not available in all the region’s areas. Professional and regional mobility must be promoted to jobseekers, since the number of job vacancies in this sector will be very small in the future.
Jobs in agriculture and forestry are seasonal, and many people in these sectors are unemployed during the winter. The coronavirus crisis has been a challenge for the region which is dominated by the agricultural industry, as it relies heavily on foreign labour.
The number of unemployed persons in the region has decreased in 2022 and has remained below the pre-pandemic level (2019). The share of unemployed persons of the total labour force in North Savo is 8.7%. The strengths of North Savo are the region’s diversity, the presence of solid international export companies, the expanding Kuopio region and its strong rural environment. The share of services is below average in terms of both the number of jobs and the number of people in employment. The share of jobs in the public sector for all jobs is declining. Income levels are slightly lower than the national average. The population of this region is approximately 250 000. The birth rate is markedly lower than the mortality rate in small rural regions. There has been a slight decrease in the population of North Savo in recent years. Kuopio is an attractive growth centre in the region. With its diverse labour market, the Kuopio region has become the most significant commercial hub in Eastern Finland. The number of immigrants in North Savo remains below the national average, but it is growing.
North Savo’s unemployment rate has been increasing steadily since 2016, with the exception of 2020, when the rate remained at the level of the previous year. The availability of skilled workers and the labour supply shortage have proved a more significant challenge to growth than expected. The workforce is educated, but the number of people with a higher education degree is smaller than the Finnish average. The University of Eastern Finland, which is especially renowned for its courses in medicine, is located in this region. The number of young unemployed people has decreased even faster than the general unemployment rate. There are 3 900 long-term unemployed persons in North Savo. This number started decreasing slightly around one year ago. There are 12% fewer long-termed unemployed persons now than a year ago.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information on sectors with a demand for workers, and those with no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
The demand for workers is particularly high for professionals in the non-medical care sector, and for welders and contact centre salespersons. In addition, there is a shortage of cleaning sector workers and foremen in the construction sector. The IT sector is also struggling with labour supply issues, but not all vacancies are made public (hidden jobs).
There have been job vacancies in the metals sector, particularly for machinists and welders with a high level of know-how and professional skills. There are jobs available in the metals industry, particularly in the export industry. It is expected that the bio-economy will also create more jobs in the industrial sector in the next few years.
Restaurant jobs are generally filled by temporary employment agencies, and there are plenty of job opportunities in that field. In particular, chefs and restaurant workers are in high demand. As for winter tourism, there are a great many jobs available in the vicinity of the Tahko downhill skiing centre, both in restaurant work and in other tourism-related employment. Besides Tahko, tourism jobs are concentrated in the Kuopio area. The main language skill required in customer services is Finnish, but in other areas of employment the demand for English is increasing.
There are also good job opportunities in telesales in the commercial sector, with remuneration based partly on commission. The commercial sector is a solid source of employment in the area of Kuopio. There are plenty of job opportunities for cleaners, both in the urban areas and in the Tahko tourist area.
There is great demand for berry pickers on strawberry farms in June-July. Most of these berry-picking farms are situated in Inner Savo. There has also been a need for farm workers, in particular in the Upper Savo and Northeast Savo regions.
There is little demand for general secretaries and graphic design and multimedia professionals in North Savo. There are also plenty of operating support staff and information and communications technology installers in the region.
North Karelia is a region in Eastern Finland with a population of 163 000. The population in the area has been declining since the 1990s, and the working-age population is decreasing as the older population increases. The annual addition of a few hundred non-Finnish immigrants to the region has slightly balanced the population loss, and the share of non-Finns of the total population is gradually increasing. In 2021, approximately 4.4% of the population had an immigrant background.
Approximately 77 000 North Karelians live in the city of Joensuu. Joensuu is an attractive university city and is home to the University of Eastern Finland’s Joensuu Campus, with approximately 9 000 students, and the Karelia University of Applied Sciences, with nearly 4 000 students. Riveria, the North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium, offers vocational education for roughly 17 000 students in Joensuu and five other municipalities in Northern Karelia.
The region’s strengths include its natural resources, a diverse education system, high expertise especially in the forestry, technology and plastics industries, and its forest bio-economy.
There are approximately 60 000 jobs in North Karelia. Around 73% of jobs are in services, just under 21% in processing, and 6% in primary production. The region is home to approximately 11 000 companies, with around 33 500 employees. The biggest employers in the region are industrial enterprises such as Abloy Oy (locks and locking systems), John Deere Forestry Ltd (forestry machines) and Medisize Corporation (plastics), Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy (laboratory instruments), Binderholz Nordic Oy (wood processing) and the Northern Karelia Cooperative Society in the retail sector.
In 2021, the labour market situation in North Karelia improved significantly compared to 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of unemployed people at the end of the year was 18% smaller than in the same period in the previous year. In 2021, the share of unemployed people of the total labour force averaged 14.2% in North Karelia, while the national average was 11.4%.
Even though the number of unemployed people is high, some employers have difficulties attracting workers to highly skilled jobs, as well as for tasks requiring a basic level of education or experience. There are issues in the availability of labour, particularly outside the Joensuu area. It is hoped that the number of non-Finnish jobseekers will increase.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
In 2021, around 20 000 vacancies were reported to the TE Office for North Karelia. Most of the vacancies were in social and healthcare services, and most jobs were for healthcare assistants, qualified nurses and social workers. A notably large number of the vacancies existed also for different sales-related positions. In addition, there was a high demand for construction professionals, restaurant sector professionals, plastics and metal industry workers, and a variety of building management workers. The region is expected to experience a shortage of specialists in the healthcare sector, including dentists, general and specialist physicians, psychologists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. Demand remains high for qualified nurses, healthcare assistants and social service specialists. There is a shortage of programmers in the ICT sector. The industry and construction sectors are seeking welders, sheet metal workers, carpenters, plastic products machine operators and other specialists.
Generally, employers seek people with good skills and/or training, although for more routine-based, operational-level duties in particular, education and language skill requirements are lower.
Companies are increasingly looking for new employees via their websites.
In 2021, there was an average of 10 000 unemployed jobseekers/each month in North Karelia. The majority of the jobseekers were construction workers, salespersons, building management workers, healthcare assistants, office workers, restaurant industry workers and vehicle operators. Most unemployed people have been educated to at least secondary level.
It is expected that there will be a surplus of general secretaries; advertising, marketing and media professionals; as well as cultural and artistic professionals.
In August 2022, the population of Central Finland was 272 698, approximately half of whom lived in Jyväskylä city and greater region. Traditionally, in migration statistics, only Jyväskylä has had positive net migration, but during the pandemic, many other smaller cities and municipalities gained more residents than lost in 2021. The region as a whole had a positive net migration for the first time in five years.
Immigrants usually settle around Jyväskylä which is an attractive location due to its higher education institutions, for example. Elsewhere in the region, immigrants find work in the agricultural and forest sectors and the metal industry in particular.
Central Finland consists of six sub-regions and 23 municipalities. As is the case in many regions, there are two aspects to the region’s internal local development – the region’s central area is successful, and that success is self-sustaining, while the rural regions are doing less well and the decline in the population is depriving them of the basis for a successful economy.
The natural strengths of the economic fabric of Central Finland include machinery and equipment, housing and construction and bioenergy companies. A clear transition has taken place in the business structure of the region. In many areas of Central Finland, there has been a considerable reduction in jobs in primary production. In contrast, jobs in the service sector are increasing. In recent years, growth of the service sector in the Jyväskylä area has been the highest in the country. Wellbeing services and knowledge-intensive business services as well as ICT have been growth sectors in recent years. Industry continues to remain very important for the region’s business life. The Äänekoski bioproduct plant and the innovation activities related to it have created job opportunities throughout the region. Furthermore, there is a highly diverse and multi-level range of educational courses in Central Finland. The college network covers the whole region and Jyväskylä provides university-level tuition. The challenges faced by the region are the shortage of skilled workforce and a mismatch between the skills of jobseekers and the requirements of employers. The region’s largest employers include Keskimaa, Valmet, K-ryhmä, Metsä Group, Valmet and Gofore.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
In September 2022, the TE Office for Central Finland had a total of 6 348 vacancies. The highest numbers of vacancies were in the social and healthcare services, non-medical personal care, the restaurant sector, sales, and the construction, renovation and manufacturing sectors.
As the labour force ages, workers are leaving the labour force. Because of this, new labour will be required in the future, even in those professions where the number of jobs is currently falling. In Central Finland, social and healthcare services, and the service, metal and machinery and construction industries are currently experiencing difficulties in obtaining adequately trained professionals locally (qualified nurses, particularly social workers, healthcare assistants, salespersons, electricians, plumbers and pipelayers, welders, construction supervisors, concrete element workers and concrete finishers). The ICT industry is also experiencing a shortage of skilled workforce.
At the end of September 2022, there were 13 144 unemployed jobseekers in Central Finland. Unemployed jobseekers accounted for 10.6% of the total labour force. Long-term unemployed persons accounted for 37.5% of all unemployed jobseekers.
Unemployment is more common in fields with many applicants for vacancies. In Central Finland, there are many unemployed general secretaries, print media and publishing workers, graphic designers, culture industry professionals and clothes manufacturers.
There are not many opportunities for people without training or a degree. Many fields require Finnish skills, but employer’s language requirements vary.
South Ostrobothnia is located in the central part of the country in western Finland. Approximately 191 000 people live in the region. There is a particularly high demand for workers in social and healthcare services, the technology industry, the ICT industry and the service sector, particularly in the hospitality sector. Generally, the region’s labour shortage has become chronic and challenges related to the availability of skilled labour are common in nearly all sectors.
The number of unemployed jobseekers continued to fall until late summer, but the pace is slowing down. At the end of August, there were around 5 100 unemployed persons.
jobseekers. The share of unemployed jobseekers of the total labour force of South Ostrobothnia was 5.9%, which is the second lowest share in Mainland Finland.
The share of young people and by those aged over 65 from the total population is slightly higher than nationally. The population trend in the region has been polarised in recent years. The population has increased only in Seinäjoki. The population trend in other municipalities has been downward. A particular challenge for many municipalities is fewer young age groups and worsening conditions for business. Non-Finns account for a relatively small share of the region’s population, although the number of immigrants has been growing over the last ten years.
Commuter traffic within the region is from neighbouring municipalities to Seinäjoki. Commuting outside the region is mainly to Vaasa.
The strong sectors in Southern Ostrobothnia are the food industry and associated primary production. The construction, metal and machine shop sectors, industry relating to wood processing, and retail, are also in a strong position. The region has large production plants relating to the food industry, including those owned by Atria Oyj, Altia Oyj and Valio Oy. In the metals industry, there are many small and medium-sized enterprises, but also a number of larger ones. The major companies include Finn-Power Oy and MSK Group Oy. In recent years, the wood sector has faced new challenges, while new companies have also emerged in the sector, such as CLT production plants, which focus on the solid-wood element construction markets. In the commercial sector, the most well-known company is the Tuurin kyläkauppa hypermarket of Veljekset Keskinen Oy, but the Seinäjoki Ideapark shopping centre is also a major employer. The importance of the commercial and service sectors as employers is steadily increasing.
The technology and wood product industries have provided work for trained professional employees. There is recruitment for jobs that require specialist expertise of both new workers and those replacing the workers who leave. Economic growth has affected the availability of the skilled labour force and already caused recruitment problems in the region. There has been less demand during the coronavirus crisis, but the technology industry in particular is still experiencing significant challenges in attracting skilled workforce.
The region’s food industry employs many summer seasonal workers. Seasonal workers are also needed in the tourism industry. Powerpark, which is an experience and activity park located in Kauhava, recruits a great number of workers for the summer on temporary contracts.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand.
Links:
Occupational Barometer |
There are many different types of job vacancies in the social and healthcare services sector (general physicians, specialist physicians, qualified nurses, public health nurses, dentists, dental assistants and therapists, audiologists and speech therapists, psychologists, social work and counselling professionals). Besides substitution and other temporary work, there is an increasing availability of permanent posts in the sector. In future, there will continue to be a clear need for additional labour in this sector, because of the ageing population and the retirement of workers currently active in the sector.
In industrial and construction work, applicants are expected to possess a high level of professional skill and diverse work experience. In the metal industry, work is available to workers with vocational training (welders and flame cutters, metal working machine tool setters and operators, metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners, sheet metal workers and mechanical machinery assemblers). Recruitment is focusing increasingly on various requirements associated with programming skills. The construction sector requires professionals in both supervisory and operational-level roles (civil engineers, construction supervisors, mechanical engineers, housebuilders, bricklayers, concrete placers, concrete finishers and related workers, carpenters and joiners, insulation workers and spray painters and varnishers).
It is predicted that recruitment needs will also increase for specialised roles in business services.
In the transport sector, there has been a particular need for heavy truck and lorry drivers with the appropriate professional qualifications.
The hospitality industry has a shortage of skilled restaurant workers, chefs and waiters. There is also a shortage of fast food workers. There are a good number of jobs available in the sector particularly in summer.
In the cleaning industry, there is a lack of office and workplace cleaners in the region as a whole.
There are vacancies in the food industry, especially for seasonal work. The tourism sector also needs large numbers of seasonal workers in summer.
Due to the economic upturn, new jobs have been created for the region’s skilled workforce and, in the near future, recruitment problems will affect an increasing number of professions. It is already challenging to find skilled labour in the metal industry.
In commerce, there is a shortage of sales representatives, as well as of contact centre salespersons. Commerce has an important role to play in the employment of young people.
There are many unemployed jobseekers in the administrative and office work sectors (general secretaries, administrative and executive secretaries, IT user support technicians), and generally only a few job vacancies.
There are many unemployed jobseekers in the textiles and clothing sector (tailors, dressmakers, furriers and hatters), but not many vacancies.
The Ostrobothnia region consists of the regional coastal areas of Vaasa, Pietarsaari, Kyrönmaa and Suupohja. The population of Ostrobothnia was 176 041 at the end of 2021. The population has grown in the region for several years, but in more recent years the population has slightly decreased. Over half of the whole population of the region lives in the Vaasa region, and the population growth is concentrated there. Migrant workers have played a key role in the area for many years. At the end of 2019, a total of 13 755 non-Finnish speakers lived in Ostrobothnia, accounting for 7.8% of the total population in the region. The region is characterised by its strong bilingualism: half of the population speaks Swedish as their first language.
The share of unemployed jobseekers in the total labour force in the area of the ELY Centre for Ostrobothnia is the lowest in Finland (5.4%) The corresponding national share is 8.8% (2022). In July 2021, the region’s lowest unemployment rates were in Luoto (5.9%) and Närpiö (5.3%). The number of vacancies has been increasing for a long period of time.
The strengths of Ostrobothnia include its successful and diverse export industry, strong entrepreneurial tradition and international nature. Ostrobothnia’s international dimension is built on the region’s good connections, versatile higher education opportunities, large international companies and multilingual operating environment. Vaasa and Pietarsaari are the commuter hubs in this region. The major industrial sectors in Ostrobothnia include the energy, maritime technology, food, plastics, bioproduct and boating industries, as well as industrial services. Pietarsaari is known for its world-class boating industry. Other strong sectors include the food, paper and forest industries.
Other notable business sectors in Ostrobothnia are agriculture, forestry and the fishery sector, which provide employment to around 4 700 people in total. Primary production is another major employer, particularly in the coastal area of Suupohja, where almost one in every four employed persons works in agriculture. The region’s agricultural production is significant for Finland as a whole, as it produces 70% of all tomatoes and cucumbers in Finland. (Publications of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 31/2020)
The biggest companies include the technology firms Wärtsilä, ABB and Danfoss and food company Snellman Oy. These are all industrial enterprises that have had great success in global markets and invest in high-levels of expertise, technology and exports. The majority of the companies are small or medium sized. The region is known for its strong entrepreneurial spirit. Some examples of interesting companies include Närpes Trä och Metall, Kyrö Distillery, VEO, Beamex, Fresh, Dermoshop, Ukkoschnapps, Alucar, Logset, Nautor´s Swan, Targa, Prohoc, etc.
A total of six higher education institutions operate in Ostrobothnia. The University of Vaasa focuses on economics and business administration and technology. Åbo Akademi University’s Vaasa unit provides education in social and education sciences. The Swedish-speaking Handelshögskolan, Hanken for short, offers a wide range of education in economics and business administration. The University of Helsinki provides bilingual legal education in Vaasa. Other higher education providers in the area are the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK) and the Novia University of Applied Sciences. All higher education establishments in the region have a strong international profile and they also offer both bachelor- and master-level degree programmes in English. Secondary education providers include the Finnish-speaking Vamia and the Swedish-speaking Yrkesakademin i Österbotten. Both institutions provide versatile vocational training for young people and adults, as well as for the demands of local work and business. Internationalisation levels are high, and the institutions serve the region in multiple languages.
Links:
Occupational Barometer | |
Regional Council of Ostrobothnia |
According to the employment survey of September 2022, the TE Office for Ostrobothnia had 6 060 registered unemployed jobseekers, which is 749 less than in the previous year. Compared with the previous month, the number decreased by 303. In the area of the ELY Centre for Ostrobothnia, unemployment decreased by 11% from the level of the previous year. Nationally, unemployment decreased by 12.2%. Unemployment decreased in all areas of ELY Centres, relatively most in Uusimaa (17.1%).
According to the Occupational Barometer published in the autumn of 2022, the regions of Vaasa and Pietarsaari have labour shortages across a wide range of sectors. Companies in these regions need skilled workers of all levels. The demand is highest for office and workplace cleaners, qualified nurses, public health nurses and physicians. There is also a shortage of daycare teachers, psychologists, accounting associate professionals and construction industry professionals. The IT sector has had a constant shortage of professionals for several years now. More detailed information is available in the Occupational Barometer: https://ammattibarometri.fi
The coronavirus crisis had the largest impact on the hospitality sector. In contrast, the retail sector has grown in some sub-sectors, such as food and hardware. The crisis’ effects on manufacturing and construction industries have yet to materialise due to the long-term aspect of orders and projects. It is typical for the region to enter an economic downturn with a slight delay and for the number of orders in the region to drop usually after the economy is already picking up again in other regions. The global component shortage hinders the economic growth of businesses and in horticulture, the increasing price of energy increases the risk of large layoffs in Närpiö (2022).
A historically quite unprecedented situation is currently taking place in the labour market, where the number of those retiring from work is increasingly outnumbering the young people who replace them. Competition for labour will become fiercer, not only between enterprises but also between sectors and regions. The importance of labour-related migration and international expertise will be emphasised in the future in order to secure vitality and growth in the region. Ensuring the availability of a skilled labour force in the region must remain a priority so that the conditions for growth remain favourable.
Central Ostrobothnia consists of the regions of Kokkola and Kaustinen. In December 2022, the population of Central Ostrobothnia was 67 911. Population growth has been concentrated in the Kokkola region, where over four-fifths of the region’s whole population live. A total of 9% of the population in Central Ostrobothnia speak Swedish as their first language. The share of non-Finnish speakers out of the total population was 3.3% at the end of 2022.
The share of unemployed jobseekers of the total labour force was 7% in July 2022. It is the third lowest in mainland Finland. The number of unemployed people has steadily decreased after the coronavirus situation started to improve.
The major industries in Central Ostrobothnia include the metal and food industries, the manufacturing of machinery and equipment and the chemical industry. Metal industry subcontractors also support the region’s boating industry: most of the heavily export-oriented Finnish boating industry is concentrated in the regions of Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia. The region’s food processing industry is also diverse and export-oriented. The major companies in this field operate in the meat processing and dairy industries and in the manufacture of soft drinks. The largest Nordic inorganic chemical industry cluster is located in Kokkola. Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP) hosts dozens of top companies in the chemical and metal industries, and is considered a pioneer in the circular economy in Finland and in Europe. The cluster provides employment for thousands of people. Most of the production plants in KIP operate internationally and export almost 100% of their output worldwide.
Primary production in Central Ostrobothnia is strong and diverse. The region has also utilised novel AI- and bio-economy-based innovations in increasing the efficiency of its agricultural production. Some of the agricultural producers are also engaged in exports. Another significant source of income in primary production is fur farming. Almost all the fur farms in Finland (over 1 000) are small family businesses that operate in the Ostrobothnian regions. They export nearly 100% of their production. In 2022, the number of companies in Central Ostrobothnia was 5 237. Some of the most interesting companies in the region include Boliden, Raisoft, Finn Spring Oy, FineWeld Oy, Kokkolan Halpahalli Oy and Kosila.
Central Ostrobothnia offers education at both university and university of applied sciences level. The Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius is a multidisciplinary joint institution of the universities of Jyväskylä, Oulu and Vaasa. The University of Jyväskylä is responsible for the coordination of its activities. It is a pioneer in the provision of university-level adult education and an important research partner in the area. The Centria University of Applied Sciences focuses on the needs of working life, digitalisation and international activities. Centria provides education in the areas of production technology, chemistry and bio-economy, digitalisation and entrepreneurial service production. The Federation of Education in Central Ostrobothnia (KPEDU) offers vocational upper-secondary basic and continuing education, in-service training, apprenticeships as well as adult education courses. KPEDU is also active in regional and business development in the area.
Links:
Occupational Barometer | |
Statistics on Central Ostrobothnia |
According to the September 2022 employment survey, there were 4.6% more job vacancies in Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia compared with the same period in the previous year. The number of new vacancies keeps increasing. In September, there were 5 614 vacancies, which is 524 jobs more (+10.3%) than in the previous year.
The largest increase in new vacancies compared with the previous year was seen in the group of process and transport professionals (+98). The number of vacancies decreased most in the group of office and customer services professionals (86). In terms of absolute numbers, most new vacancies were found among construction, repair and manufacturing industry workers.
According to the autumn 2022 Occupational Barometer, there is a labour shortage of workers of all levels and across several sectors in Central Ostrobothnia. The biggest shortages are of psychologists, software developers and programmers, nurses and public health nurses. More detailed information is available in the Occupational Barometer:https://ammattibarometri.fi.
The sector facing the most difficulties is the hospitality industry. In contrast, the retail sector has grown in some sub-sectors, such as food and hardware. The crisis’ effects on manufacturing and construction industries will be seen later due to long order books and projects. It is typical for the region to enter an economic downturn with a slight delay and the number of orders in our region usually drop later when the economy is already picking up again in other regions. Strong growth is still expected and large investments in battery companies, for example, create demand for labour.
A historically quite unprecedented situation is currently taking place in the labour market, where the number of those retiring from work is increasingly outnumbering the young people who replace them. Competition for labour will become fiercer, not only between enterprises but also between sectors and regions. The importance of labour-related migration and international expertise will be emphasised in the future in order to secure vitality and growth in the region. Ensuring the availability of a skilled labour force in the region must remain a priority so that the conditions for growth remain favourable.
North Ostrobothnia consists of 30 municipalities, and the largest city is Oulu. In August 2022, the population of North Ostrobothnia was 412 150. The region’s education institutions, vocational schools and higher education institutions and universities provide opportunities for education and training. The University of Oulu has many faculties that provide opportunities for studying and research, which is a significant attraction for new residents. There are around 163 920 employed people (2020 statistics) in the region.
Many projects are either being implemented or planned in different fields in North Ostrobothnia. In the energy sector, wind farms are being built and there are plans to build even more. The development of the mining sector increases the need for labour, as does the construction and operational stages of the sawmill project, the planned biorefinery and other factory and industry projects. The IT industry continues to grow and its need for labour is increasing.
The public sector is a significant employer (especially social and healthcare services and education). In the private sector, the most significant industries include the electrics and electronics industry, the metal industry, the machining industry, construction, retail and private service industries (the ICT sector in particular has a large need for competent specialists throughout the region).
The bi-annual Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the sectors in which there is a demand for workers, and where there is no demand. The monthly regional Employment Bulletin of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has more information on the labour market situation and the number of vacancies and the fields they are in.
Links:
Occupational Barometer | |
Employment Bulletin | https://www.temtyollisyyskatsaus.fi/graph/tkat/tkat.aspx?lang=en&ely=12 |
The average number of vacancies reported to the TE Office for North Ostrobothnia is around 7 000–8 000 per month. In many sectors (e.g. construction, tourism, servicing and maintenance), the demand for labour fluctuates throughout the year and many sectors depend on the economic situation. There are still relatively many jobs in the ICT sector in North Ostrobothnia, and ICT professionals will be actively recruited in the future. Retirement on the part of the baby-boomer generation and the demand for labour from growth businesses will create jobs in the future.
In certain sectors the demand for skilled labour exceeds availability. The region’s companies need labour force for example in the ICT, metal and mechanical, construction, tourism, social service and healthcare industries. There will also be a significant number of jobs available in these sectors (including related industries) in the coming years. There is a demand for managers, experts and operational-level workers at various qualification levels. Several tasks require basic training and current expertise, but employers are also ready to provide training for active new elementary-level employees.
In North Ostrobothnia, there are still reserves of unemployed, and new jobseekers are continuously graduating to the labour market from training organisations. However, in some sectors (ICT, metal industry, healthcare), labour shortages are significant enough or have lasted so long that candidates are now being headhunted from outside the region. A variety of professionals are sought for a variety of fields.
As automation, digitalisation and e-commerce become more commonplace, the number of basic professions will decline (general secretaries, administrative assistants, customer service workers and assembly workers), while the proportion of expert positions in the labour market structure will grow. A lack of training and work experience and an outdated knowledge base are undermining employment.
Kainuu is a region in central Finland known for its forests. Kainuu is composed of eight municipalities, and about half of the inhabitants live in Kajaani, the central municipality. Kainuu has plenty of space – there are fewer than four inhabitants per square kilometre – and much unspoilt countryside. Inhabitants of Kainuu enjoy a safe environment, good everyday services and excellent exercise and outdoor activity facilities. The region’s population is falling and ageing due to migration and age structure. Even though Kainuu is almost the size of Belgium, the region’s population at the end of 2021 was only 71 225, and it decreased by 439 over the year. The number of non-Finnish nationals in the region is approximately 1 800. At the end of August 2022, the share of unemployed jobseekers was around 16.1% of the total labour force, which is the fifth lowest number in all ELY Centre areas and 1.3 percentage points lower than both in the previous year and three years ago, before the coronavirus crisis. There were 2 530 unemployed jobseekers, which is the lowest number since the first year of the employment statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, i.e. 2006. The unemployment rate decreased by 14% compared with August 2021, and by 17% compared with August 2019, which was prior to the coronavirus crisis. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not increased unemployment in Kainuu and it is not expected to do so. However, uncertainty has increased and it is still challenging to predict the impact Russia’s war will have in the future.
Labour demand was at a record high in Kainuu in 2021. A total of 14 006 new vacancies were reported to the TE Office, which is 66% more than in the normal situation of 2019. Labour demand continued to be at the same level between January and August 2022, and a total of 9 467 new vacancies were reported, which is 3% less than in the same period in the year before.
Between January and August 2022, most vacancies reported to the TE Office were for service and sales jobs (2 569) and for positions in the construction, renovation and manufacturing industries. Compared with the previous year, demand for service and sales workers (+41%) and specialists (+35%) grew the most.
All industries struggle with labour supply, and in many profession groups there are fewer jobseekers than there are vacancies reported to the TE Office. The demand for labour will keep increasing in the coming year, since young people are entering the labour market at a lower volume than older people are exiting it.
Mining is an important source of employment. The most significant mine is the Terrafame Oy mine in Sotkamo, the operations of which have a significant impact on the entire mining industry and the region’s economy. Terrafame employs nearly 900 people directly, and indirectly plays a part in the employment of nearly 5 000 employees. It has been forecast that the region’s ore and mineral reserves guarantee production for several decades to come.
In the metal industry, the powerhouse of regional growth is Transtech Oy, which is part of the Škoda Transportation Group. Transtech is a manufacturer of rolling stock and engineering workshop products. The company’s future prospects are positive and it is constantly in need of labour. Transtech is in need of various technology industry professionals such as welders, installers and supervisors.
The coronavirus crisis had a strong impact on tourism, but the industry has been recovering even if it has not quite returned to the pre-pandemic level.Investments and new projects for increasing international tourism create opportunities for growth for tourism businesses in the future, but issues in reachability and the lack of a permanent airport specifically create uncertainty. Tourism in Kainuu is concentrated in the Vuokatti area, which offers excellent facilities for sporting and outdoor tourism.
Links:
Occupational Barometer | http://ammattibarometri.alh.fi/vertailu.asp?vuosi=19i&maakunta=kainuu&k… |
Regional Council of Kainuu | |
RecruitmentKainuu Project | |
TE-services/Kainuu Public Employment and Business Services Vacancies (in Finnish) TE-palvelut/TE-services | https://paikat.te-palvelut.fi/tpt/?searchPhrase=kainuu&announced=0&leas… |
According to the estimate of the Occupational Barometer for spring 2022, there was a shortage of workers in nearly 100 professions in Kainuu. Demand is highest in social and healthcare services and the construction, metal, ICT, forest and restaurant industries. In terms of specific professions, in the social and healthcare services, the shortage is most severe for physicians, dentists, qualified nurses, healthcare assistants and psychologists. In other fields, demand is highest for cleaning professionals, welders, sheet metal workers, machining professionals, pipelayers, teachers, construction workers, restaurant workers and home-based personal care workers.
Between January and August 2022, 88% of the new vacancies reported to the TE Office were in Kajaani. There a lot of vacancies especially in the Kajaani and Sotkamo areas.
According to the Occupational Barometer, in Kainuu, the supply of general secretaries, jobseekers in the group ‘clerical support workers’, and information and communications technology installers and servicers exceeds the demand.
Between January and August 2022, the groups with most unemployed persons were construction, renovation and manufacturing workers, and service and sales workers. However, these are also the fields that have the most vacancies. Unemployment is often due to a mismatch between the demand for labour and the supply for labour. The most significant cause for a mismatch are deficiencies in jobseekers’ competency.
The Kainuu region needs skilled labour and there are plenty of vacancies, so Kainuu is a jobseeker’s market.
Straddling the Arctic Circle, Lapland is Finland’s and the entire EU’s northernmost international region. It covers almost a third of the entire area of Finland. Lapland shares a border with the EU Member State Sweden, EEA country Norway, and Russia. Lapland has 21 municipalities with a total population of 176 494. Lapland is the least densely populated region of Finland. A total of 60% of the population lives in the three largest towns, Rovaniemi (64 180), Tornio (21 333) and Kemi (19 982). There are 4 246 non-Finnish nationals living in Lapland and 5 369 residents do not speak any of Finland’s official languages (Finnish, Sami and Swedish).
There are around 70 200 jobs in Lapland, of which 65% are in the private sector, 29% in municipalities and 7% in central government. The region is home to the offices of 12 500 companies, most of which have fewer than five employees. New jobs are mostly created in companies. A total of 75% of all jobs is in public or private sector services, 20% in processing (industry, construction, mining and excavation), and just 4% in primary production. In the services sector, most jobs are in social and healthcare services, tourism and retail. The most regionally characteristic livelihood in Lapland is reindeer husbandry.
Lapland’s strengths are its international flavour and versatile business structure. Growing and developing industries include tourism, services and the export-oriented mining and industrial sectors. In Kemi, the labour need arising from the construction and operational stages of the bioproduct plant under construction are and will be significant. Other projects related to factories are also planned. Lapland is investing in digitalisation and the development of robotics in the Arctic environment, and in Arctic conditions and testing. The clean air and nature of Lapland enable the processing and cultivation of natural products and their utilisation in a number of different business sectors.
Tourism and the services supporting it grow in Lapland as the number of Finnish and foreign tourists continues to increase. Famous tourist centres include Levi, Ylläs, Pallas, Olos, Kilpisjärvi, Saariselkä, Pyhä-Luosto and Sallatunturi. The Rovaniemi region is renowned for the Arctic Circle, Santa Claus and the Ranua Wildlife Park. Famous tourist attractions of Sea Lapland include the SnowCastle365 and icebreaker cruises. In tourism, the demand for workers is the highest in the high season during winter and spring, but tourists also come to Lapland to see it in the summer and to enjoy the autumn colours. Tourism investments are reflected in the need for labour in the construction industry.
Lapland has strong, growing and export-oriented primary industry along with its supplier chains. Most industrial companies are located in the Kemi-Tornio area. The major industrial sectors include the manufacture of basic metals (Outokumpu Oyj in Tornio), paper and cardboard products (Stora Enso and Metsä Fibre in Kemi), motor vehicles and trailers (BRP Finland in Rovaniemi) and the processing of sawn timber and wood products. Another major employer is logistics (road and rail transport, ports in Kemi and Tornio and five airports).
In addition to those mines already in operation, several other mine and ore exploration ventures are planned for Lapland. The mining industry employs thousands of people in Lapland, either directly or through subcontracting, contracting work or the public sector. There are three metal ore mines operating in Lapland: the chrome mine in Kemi, the gold mine in Kittilä and the Kevitsa multi-metal mine. There is a need of skilled labour in the industry.
The University of Lapland in Rovaniemi and the Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio provide higher education. Vocational colleges organise training courses around Lapland. There are foreign students from many different countries studying at educational establishments in Lapland.
The Occupational Barometer provides additional information about the professions and occupations where there is demand for or even oversupply of workers in Lapland. Further information about Lapland is available through the links section.
Links:
Occupational Barometer | |
House of Lapland | |
Lapin luotsi | http://luotsi.lappi.fi/1https://lapinluotsi.fi/ ja https://lapinluotsi.fi/en/ |
TE Office for Lapland | |
Job Market Finland |
In 2021, a total of 37 600 new open vacancies were reported to the TE Office for Lapland. Private businesses account for most of the jobs. Most vacancies were in services, sales, tourism, non-medical care and healthcare services and construction. Employers use several channels for recruiting, e.g. staffing agencies.
Many jobs are seasonal and this is reflected in the vacancies; for example, in tourism, plenty of jobs are available especially in the peak seasons in winter and spring. There is a shortage of chefs, waiters, tourist guides, cleaners and Santa’s elves, especially during the tourist seasons. Tourism in Lapland also provides employment for people from all around Finland and from outside Finland. Besides vocational skills, attitude and aptitude are important aspects of recruitment. Language skills are required in many tourism professions and in other internationalising sectors. In addition to English, speakers of many other languages are needed.
There is a constant need for professional and competent employees in the social and healthcare services sector. Jobs (e.g. for home care assistants, qualified nurses, non-medical care assistants, physicians, speech therapists, physiotherapists and dental assistants) mainly find employment in the municipal sector and to some extent in the private sector. There is also a need for competent teachers in the municipal sector.
Growth and investments in the industrial and tourism sectors also create jobs in forestry, construction and logistics industries. Vehicle testing and ore exploration also provide seasonal employment.
At the end of 2021, the number of unemployed persons in Lapland was 9 325 with unemployed persons accounting for 11% of the total labour force. The employment rate was 68.4%. Due to the demand for labour, the unemployment rate was on decline for the last several years. Youth unemployment is concentrated to the biggest towns. Unemployment affects both operational-level workers and professionals. The highest number of unemployment is in construction, craft and related trades, as well as in services and sales. Although Lapland’s unemployment rate is slightly higher than elsewhere in Finland and its job structure is challenging, skilful and educated professionals find employment easily in all sectors. In services and other seasonal industries, the number of unemployed jobseekers fluctuates considerably throughout the year, particularly in municipalities with tourist resorts. Lapland will need more professional labour from outside the region in several sectors. The age structure of the region’s labour force and long-term development forecasts increase the need to recruit workforce from elsewhere in Finland and outside Finland. Employers are also increasingly interested in recruiting non-national workers already living in Finland, as well as future immigrants.
At the turn of the year, the population of Åland was 30 344, around 50% of whom belong to the labour force. The Åland labour market is characterised by a high level of participation in employment for both women and men, a high employment rate and relatively low unemployment.
Åland has a large public sector with extensive self-government, 16 municipalities with their own administration and some State enterprise. Public child day care, schooling and care are well developed. Around 34% of the labour force is employed in the public sector. The proportion is considerably higher among women than men, particularly in the major sectors of care and education.
Åland has around 2 600 companies. Among those companies, small companies with between one and four employees predominate. The largest companies are in the shipping industry. There are also some large companies in the IT sector and the food industry and, to some extent, in manufacturing. The sectors J, L-U are usually considered company and personal services (‘service sector’) and these sectors account for approximately 51% of employment in Åland, while sector K, finance and insurance, accounts for 3.5% of employment. All sectors G-U can also be considered service sectors (including trade, transport and hotels), therefore accounting for almost 79% of all employment in Åland.
Åland has long had fairly high immigration. Previously, immigration had been from other parts of Finland – primarily from the Swedish-speaking areas – and from Sweden. Since Åland and Finland joined the EU, and in particular since EU enlargement, immigration from, for example, the Baltic and the Balkans, has increased sharply. There is also a significant number of people from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Thailand and the Philippines.
In August 2022, the relative unemployment rate was an average of 3.9%, compared to 5.6% in August 2021. The total number of jobseekers (unemployed plus other non-workers) was 1 295 at the end of August 2022, as much as 689 fewer than the previous year. The number of vacancies was 276 in August, 93 more than in August 2021. The vacancies in relation to the number of unemployed jobseekers were 46.6% in August this year, which is 25.6 percentage points higher than in August last year. A clearly positive trend in labour force volume is expected for the rest of 2022, both in the private and public sector.
Statistical data:
- Population: 30 344 (31.12.2021)
- High level of enterprise: 2 788 companies (31.12.2021)
- Labour force, all ages: 15 115 people (31.12.2019)
- Labour force participation rate, 16-64: 82.3% (31.12.2019)
- Employment rate, 16-64: 79.1% (31.12.2019)
- Percentage of employees working in the region in the public sector: 34.1% (31.12.2019) Number of companies: 2 788 companies (31.12.2021). Over 1 500 are employed in Åland companies but reside outside Åland (mainly in shipping)
Links:
Ahvenanmaa pähkinänkuoressa | |
Ahvenanmaan tilasto- ja tutkimustoimisto (ÅSUB) | |
Ahvenanmaan matkailuneuvonta | |
Ammattibarometri | https://www.asub.ax/sv/utredning/arbetsmarknadsbarometern-2022 |
Demand for labour in Åland is uneven over the year. During the summer, when tourism is in high season, there is a demand for labour in all service industries, hotels, restaurants, cafés, campsites, etc. The jobs are found throughout Åland, but the main focus is naturally Mariehamn. The demand for professional chefs and catering staff is particularly high. There is also a high demand for staff in various parts of the care sector.
During the winter months, demand is lower, but even then there is a demand for labour in the services sector. In the IT sector expansion has been strong in Åland for a long time and there is a demand for skilled labour there. However, the larger companies have expanded beyond Åland, and the jobs are therefore to be found in Helsinki, Turku or Stockholm. There is a growing demand in the construction industry, in particular for construction managers and various types of fitters. Within industry too, there is a demand for labour, but overall that sector is relatively small in Åland.
It is often difficult for both the private and the public sectors to recruit qualified staff for high-level positions.
Åland has long had a high level of participation in employment and low unemployment. Åland also has – like other Nordic countries – an unfavourable age structure with an ageing population and a declining proportion of the population in the labour force. This means that Åland is dependent on some labour immigration. The migration surplus has been positive for a long period. However, a good knowledge of Swedish is a prerequisite for succeeding on the Åland labour market.