41,000 unfilled job vacancies in Finland by the end of 2018

There were 41,000 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2018, while the figure was 37,200 one year before.

The data appear from the latest Statistics Finland's figures on open job vacancies and describe the situation on the first day of December. In 2018, there were 49,400 open job vacancies, on average, which is 19 per cent more than in the previous year (41,600).

Source: Statistics Finland

Most are in the private sector

In the last quarter of 2018, in all, 29,200 or 71 per cent of the job vacancies were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while one year earlier they amounted to 27,400 or 74 per cent of all job vacancies.

Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the local government sector (+2,800) and in establishments with 5 to 9 employees (+3,900).

Examined by the industry of the establishment, job vacancies increased most in the industry group of professional, scientific and technical activities, and administrative and support service activities.

In the last quarter of the year, 16 per cent of all open job vacancies were part-time positions and 29 per cent were fixed-term.

Employers estimated that more than one-half of all open vacancies were hard-to-fill, as in the corresponding period of the previous year. For example, establishments in construction and human health and social work had plenty of jobs considered hard-to-fill.

The number of open job vacancies can also be viewed on the annual level as averages of the quarterly figures . In 2018, on average, 74 per cent of the job vacancies or 36,400 were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while in 2017 they amounted to 32,000 or 77 per cent of all job vacancies.

Vacancies increased mainly in Helsinki-Uusimaa

Compared with the previous year, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the major region of Helsinki-Uusimaa (+4,800).

Examined by the industry of the establishment, the number of job vacancies increased most on the annual level in establishments belonging to the industry groups of trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities and public administration, education, human health and social work activities.

Examined on the annual level, 20 per cent of job vacancies were part-time jobs and 36 per cent fixed-term. Employers reported having experienced difficulties in filling open job vacancies more often than in the previous year.

Employers estimated that, on average, 53 per cent of the open job vacancies were hard-to-fill in 2018, while in 2017, the share was 45 per cent.

Source: Statistics Finland

Statistics Finland has been collecting data on open job vacancies quarterly since 2002. The inquiry is directed to persons responsible for recruitment in private and public sector establishments.

The data provider can respond either using the web questionnaire or through a telephone interview. The data collection includes approximately 2,500 different establishments in every quarter.