Nurses at the adult intensive care unit of Turku University Hospital’s (Tyks) T-hospital. Photo: Laura Ukkonen / Lehtikuva
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Employment in Finland’s female-dominated sectors is falling sharply, while traditionally male-dominated industries are seeing gains, according to figures released by Statistics Finland.
During the first quarter of 2025, just over 2.54 million people were employed. This was 28,000 fewer than during the same period a year earlier.
The drop hit women hardest, with 21,000 fewer women employed compared to a decrease of 7,000 among men.
Unemployment also rose, with 38,000 more people registering as jobseekers.
Statistics Finland linked the rise in redundancies in the social and healthcare sectors to budget shortfalls in Finland’s wellbeing services counties. More than half of these regional authorities reported budget deficits at the end of 2024.
Employment in male-dominated fields such as transport and storage increased, in contrast to the public sector, where jobs in health, education, and administration continued to decline.
“Employment in the private sector is no longer declining, but the decline in the public sector continues,” said Henna Busk, senior economist at Pellervo Economic Research (PTT).
Busk noted that health and social services saw the steepest employment losses, contributing heavily to the overall downturn.
The number of long-term unemployed people continues to grow, now exceeding 115,000. This is higher than during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, making recovery more difficult even if the economy rebounds.
PTT warned that reducing unemployment will become more challenging as the share of long-term jobless individuals rises.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
