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11.2.2026 | The demand for skilled labour in the maritime industry is growing. Competence requirements in the sector, especially for highly skilled tasks, are changing. This is the conclusion of a report on the skills needs of the maritime industry published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 11 February 2026.

22.6.2026 | Labour migration models used in different countries were examined in a report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. A points-based system has been implemented and is being used in different ways in different countries. Introducing such a system in Finland would require the setting of a clear objective.

19.5.2026 | Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment forecasts that, compared with this year, employment growth will be more robust in 2027 and 2028. A decline in long-term unemployment is expected to begin after the summer of 2026.

14.11.2025 | A turning point is expected in Finland’s labour market by the end of 2025. Growth in employment is projected to accelerate in 2027, and unemployment to begin falling more clearly.

16.2.2026 | Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen is currently visiting Canada and the United States. The visit is part of Finland’s long-term goal to intensify strategic cooperation and collaboration on skills and expertise with North America. Another purpose is to find sustainable solutions for the development, availability and opportunities for skilled labour in the marine industry together with partner countries.

20.5.2025 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s labour market forecast for spring 2025 predicts that employment will grow next year, but the number of long-term unemployed people threatens to rise to a very high level.

23.6.2026 | According to a recent report, it would be beneficial for people to have access to electronic services already before their entry into Finland. This would make it easier for them to attend to necessary official matters.

19.11.2024 | The expected recovery of the employment rate will be delayed by the labour market downturn in autumn 2024. Long-term unemployment is projected to increase until 2026.

29.11.2023 | This autumn, the revised Labour Force Barometer focuses on the future prospects of the technology industry and the social welfare, health and wellbeing sectors. The greatest shortage of labour is in the health and social services sector, where skilled workers are needed for the care of older people, in particular. The outlook for the technology sector is expected to improve after next summer.

16.11.2023 | The situation in Finland’s labour market is looking bleak. Many employees will be laid off, with the number of layoffs expected to rise to close to the highs experienced during the financial crisis of 2009. In particular, the economic trend in manufacturing and construction will be unfavourable and be reflected in the demand for services.

7.10.2026 | The Ministry of Finance’s policy outlook, Trust in the Future, discusses key issues and offers concrete solutions for the upcoming parliamentary term. The Ministry published the outlook on 7 December.

11.5.2023 | The lacklustre state of the economy will be reflected in the labour market over the next few months. As recently as in early 2023, the labour market showed a positive trend and employment grew due to part-time work. During the latter part of the year, however, employment will start to fall before returning to a positive track in 2024. These are the conclusions of the short-term Labour Market Forecast published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 11 May 2023.

16.1.2023 | The report contains the results of the Labour Market Roadmap project by occupation and region and proposes solutions to improve the availability of labour. According to the report, that divides occupations into those suffering from labour shortage, mismatch or surplus, the increase in labour market mismatch is largely explained by the growing number of atypical employment relationships. 

9.11.2022 | Even though the outlook for the labour market is in many respects gloomier than before, the number of employed persons will continue to grow slightly, according to the Labour Market Forecast extending to 2024. The number of unemployed jobseekers in employment services (TE services) will see a moderate increase as well.

8.2.2023 | The lack of skilled labour is slowing Finland’s economic growth. Increasing cooperation between public and private sector employment agencies could alleviate the problem of labour shortages. An event on Wednesday 8 February will present different ways to improve the match between jobs and jobseekers. About 400 public and private sector employment agents will attend the event. 

24.8.2023 | Finland needs international workforce to respond to the labour market demand and the shortage of skilled employees. In order for international experts to come to work in Finland, our country must be able to attract and retain both employees and employers. 

23.11.2021 | In the future more advanced solutions will be needed to enable more detailed data collection from jobseekers and to update the data on the number and specific descriptions of open vacancies in real time. Digital platforms and artificial intelligence could propose to us in a cost-effective way where to target our efforts.     

22.6.2022 | The labour market roadmap project aims to improve the match between jobs and workers. The data model built in the project uses data in more diverse ways than before. In this way, the special characteristics of different sectors can be considered in more detail in order to create a more accurate picture of the types of open vacancies, labour reserves and occupational differences. 

27.1.2025 | Discrimination in recruitment based on ethnic background has decreased in Finland, but jobseekers with a foreign background still have to submit more applications in order to receive an invitation for a job interview than equally qualified applicants with a Finnish background. Potential workforce remains untapped due to ethnic prejudices.

15.5.2024 | According to this spring’s short-term labour market forecast, unemployment growth is about to peak. Long-term unemployment is projected to increase throughout the year.