A worker at the construction site of the Horisontti office building, built by SRV, in the Kalasatama area of Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
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The number of job vacancies in Finland declined at the end of 2024. In early December, there were 33,000 open positions, down from 42,000 a year earlier.
“The number of vacancies was lower in all four quarters compared to the previous year. By the end of 2024, job openings were at roughly the same level as when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020,” said Johanna Arvonen, senior statistician at Statistics Finland.
Job availability fluctuates seasonally, with the end of the year typically being the slowest period for hiring. At the beginning of 2024, around 60,000 jobs were available, already fewer than in previous years. In early 2022, vacancies exceeded 90,000.
In the final quarter of 2024, the number of job openings declined in all major regions compared to the previous year. The most significant drop was in Southern Finland, where vacancies fell by 28%.
By industry, the most notable decreases were in public administration, education, and health and social services. Retail, transportation, warehousing, and hospitality also saw significant declines.
The construction sector experienced the sharpest drop, with vacancies down 46% in December compared to a year earlier.
At the end of 2024, 72% of job openings were in private-sector companies, while public-sector employers accounted for 16%. Municipalities, joint municipal authorities, and welfare regions posted 3,900 vacancies, nearly 50% fewer than in December 2023.
Of the vacancies available in late 2024, 30% were temporary positions, and about one-fifth were part-time. Employers classified 40% of the open positions as hard to fill, a clear decrease from the previous year.
The data comes from Statistics Finland’s job vacancy survey.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
