The Finnish economy is a highly industrialized free market economy with a highly developed service sector, but finding jobs in Finland is not as easy as it seems.
The Finnish economy (in terms of global GDP) ranks twelfth among EU countries, but has a high GDP per capita and is above the European average. After the pandemic crisis, economic growth started to pick up again, with growth rates of about 2-3% per year.
Jobs in Finland
It is not easy to find a job in Finland, because unemployment is currently relatively high, and a little bit in all industries. The unemployment rate is around 7%. Of course, if you have good skills and experience, finding a job anywhere in the world is never a problem.
If you do not know Finnish, you can look for multinational companies or one of the many start-ups that will hire even with only a little knowledge of English. Or you can find a job at a cleaning company, in hospitality or in agriculture, where English is usually more than adequate. For most Finnish companies, you need to know the Finnish language, but sometimes even basic knowledge is sufficient.
I also remind you that your chances of finding a job without knowing the language will not only decrease drastically, but also your social life will be very limited without knowing Finnish.
Therefore, I invite you to seriously learn Finnish. I know it is not an easy language, but if you reach a certain level of proficiency, you have a good chance of finding a job in Finland.
For your job search you can use the traditional ways, i.e. send applications directly to companies or rely on a recruitment agency, but the best way is still a recommendation. Therefore, it is essential to build a network of contacts and acquaintances so that someone can recommend you to the company they work for. Many jobs are filled in this way, by someone recommending another person who is looking for a job.
The Finns love certificates. And I am not just talking about diplomas or titles, but credentials, certificates, courses, etc. the more you have to show for it, the better.
Most in-demand jobs in Finland
There is no general labor shortage in Finland, but there is a shortage of certain skills and an oversupply of others and certain professions are more in demand in certain regions of the country, and many Finns do not want to or can not move to other cities. All of this leads to the unemployment that prevails in Finland. In total, there are about 200,000 unemployed in the country.
The most sought-after jobs in Finland at the moment are:
- Manual workers, (electrician, mechanic, welder, body builder)
- Lorry drivers and couriers
- Construction (carpenters, bricklayers, painters, etc.)
- IT Sector, (IT engineers, cybersecurity, developers, etc.)
- Healthcare sector, (doctors, nurses, etc.)
- Hospitality sector, (waiters, cooks, cleaners, etc.)
- Engineering sector (chemical, electronics, mechanical, etc.)
- Education sector, (kindergarten teachers, professors, etc.)
Work culture in Finland
In Finland, the work environment is generally informal and very tolerant.
People have a high work ethic, employees work independently and responsibly. Of course, there is a hierarchy, but the boss is seen as an equal employee who would never allow himself to mistreat a subordinate and not put himself above others.
Everyone accepts their responsibilities and tries to meet deadlines for the tasks assigned to them. In many companies there are flexible working hours and you can be very flexible in showing up for work, but if you agree with a colleague on a certain time for a meeting, that time is kept to the second. People have a lot of respect for others, and when they say something, they will do it 100%.
Finns are clear and direct both in life and in work. This may sometimes seem a bit rude to a foreigner, but in reality it is their innate intellectual honesty.
Jobs in Finland, Conclusion
It is not easy to find a job in Finland, sometimes it can even be really difficult. But if you are really motivated and have clear ideas, it is not impossible.
Finally, I would like to point out that there is no minimum salary set by law in Finland. The average salary is around €3,500 to €4,000 (gross) per month, which may seem like a lot, but keep in mind that life is expensive.
If you are interested in looking for a job in Finland, you can find all the information in the related article
