Finland is facing a worker shortage, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, personal care, social work, daycare teaching, and construction.
According to EURES, which is the European cooperation network of employment services, the working-age population in Finland is expected to decrease in the future, primarily due to a rising retirement rate. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of immigrants, and people are staying at work longer.
Several industries in Finland are facing a crisis because of workforce shortages for years now. Thus, Finland has compiled a list of the most demanded professions that foreigners can apply for. Once they are given a work contract, they can start procedures for getting a Finnish work visa.
In regard to the labour market, the Finnish Ministry of Economics Affairs and Employment has forecasted that there will be a decrease in the employment rate and unemployment will grow starting this autumn.
Despite the gloomy labour market, many employers are still suffering from a shortage of skilled labour. Now is the best possible time to train for sectors that are growing and need more workforce.
The top 15 most demanded jobs in Finland are:
- Healthcare assistants
- Qualified nurses and public healthcare nurses
- Social works specialists
- Specialist medical practitioners
- General practitioners
- Daycare teachers
- Audiologists and speech therapists
- Dentists
- Home-based personal care workers
- Psychologists
- Restaurant and catering staff
- Office and workplace cleaners
- Specialist teachers
- Senior nurses and ward nurses
- Foremen in the construction sector
Of those, the highest-paid ones seem to be professions related to healthcare. According to the Economic Research Institute (EIR), the average salary for the professions listed below is as follows:
- Dentist (€131,722 a year and €63 an hour)
- Psychologist (€64,556 a year and €31 an hour)
- Registered nurse (€62,741 a year and €30 an hour)
- Construction Foreman (€62,024 a year and €30 an hour)
- Nurse home care (€60,517 a year and €29 an hour)
- Kitchen Chef is €43,079 a year and €21 an hour
- Teacher Early Childhood Development (€29,060 a year and €14 an hour)
- Waiter/Waitress (€26,705 a year and €13 an hour)
Despite the fact that Finland has the 13th highest annual wage among the EU countries, living expenses in this country are relatively substantial. Living costs in Finland vary depending on factors like city, area, and family size. According to Numbeo, estimated living costs in Finland are as follows:
- The monthly expenses: for a single person, excluding rent – €902.9; for a family of four, excluding rent – €3,286.
- One-bedroom apartment: in the city centre – €791.85; outside the city centre – €650.35.
- Three-bedroom apartment: in the city center – €1,320.30; outside the city centre – €1,022.03
This year, Finland has seen a growth of interest from foreigners to study and work in its country. As Finnish authorities revealed in June 2023, a total of 7,343 applications for work purposes and first residence permits were submitted in early 2023, which is almost reaching rate of applications filed all throughout 2022.
