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 Finland: Job market
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What are my chances of getting a job?Once, Finland’s attitude to newcomers and immigrants was cautious, but now they offer a warm welcome. As the younger generation will be unable to fill the labour shortage once the post-war baby-boom age group retires, Finland is welcoming people from abroad to fill the gaps. - Typical problems encountered: unemployment in Finland is higher than in the UK but has reduced in recent years. Competition from home graduates may be high due to the fact that many Finnish graduates are often fluent in several languages, including English, Swedish, German, French and Spanish.
- How to improve your chances: relevant work experience is usually required and graduates are expected to have professional experience before being hired for more advanced jobs. It may be necessary to gain this experience before moving to Finland.
- Language requirements: there are very few jobs where it will be possible to work without any knowledge of the Finnish language. Swedish is also an official language, spoken by a minority (just over 5%). Requirements vary depending on how far from Helsinki you are and the type of job you are looking for. As English is often the language of business for companies in the international market, it may mean that English language skills are required, but a working knowledge of Finnish is still extremely important.
back to top Where can I work?- Major industries: agriculture and forestry, engineering, manufacturing, IT and communications, public and other services.
- Recent growth areas: the private services sector.
- Industries in decline: manufacturing.
- Shortage occupations: labour shortages occur across all labour sectors, particularly in healthcare and construction.
- Major companies: Kesko (wholesale retail chain), Metsaliitto (forest industry), Neste Oil, Nokia (electronics), Outokumpu (metallurgy), Sampo (finance and investment), SOK (wholesale retail chain), Stora Enso (forest industry), Tamro (pharmaceutical wholesaling), UPM (forest industry).
- Search for more companies: Finnfacts has a list of Finnish companies searchable by industry sector. Kompass is a worldwide business directory searchable by country and product/service. The Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland publishes the Contact Finland Directory, which includes information on Finnish companies. You might also find the alphabetical lists from the Helecon Information Centre and Wikipedia - List of Companies of Finland useful.
- Major cities: Helsinki (capital and largest), Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Turku, Oulu.
back to top What’s it like working in Finland?- Average working hours: 8am-5pm, five days a week (approximately 40 hours a week).
- Holidays: A new employee is entitled to two days' holiday for every month of employment, which increases to two and a half days per month when the job continues for a full year. The majority of annual holiday days are taken over the summer, leaving about one week for the winter.
- Average graduate starting salary: Wages are about the same in Finland as in the UK. Graduate starting salaries will be on a par with the industry average in the UK.
- Tax rates: Everyone, including immigrants, pays taxes to the state and local authority. This is based on a fixed percentage of your income. Taxation is quite high in comparison with many other European countries. More details are available from the Ministry of Labour Finland.
- Working practices and customs: Finns tend to be rather reserved and introverted people. Physical communication (patting on back, kissing) remain unusual and Finns enjoy periods of silences in conversations. Work and business conventions are more formal than in the UK. Business dress is typically very smart and a firm, formal handshake is a usual greeting. Meetings are formal situations and discussions are straight to the point. Strict adherence to agreements and schedules is highly valued.
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