Finland recorded the lowest number of open job vacancies in nearly a decade at the end of 2025, according to new figures from Statistics Finland.
The number of vacancies fell to 22,700 in the fourth quarter, down 31 per cent from the same period a year earlier. The figure marks the weakest end-of-year level since 2016.
Across the whole of 2025, employers reported an average of 34,100 open positions. That represents a fall of 22 per cent compared with 2024.
The decline extends a downturn that began after a peak in 2022. Compared with that year, the number of vacancies has halved.
“Last year there were fewer open jobs than at any point since 2016. Compared with 2022, the number of vacancies has halved,” said Matti Lahdenmäki, Chief Actuary at Statistics Finland, in the release.
Helsinki-Uusimaa recorded the highest number of vacancies, with about 12,400 open posts over the year. The annual decline in the region stood at just over 17 per cent, which was below the national average.
Western Finland recorded the steepest regional fall. Vacancies there dropped by 34 per cent compared with the previous year. Since 2022, the number of open positions in the region has fallen by 57 per cent. Western Finland includes Pirkanmaa, Satakunta, Central Finland, South Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia.
Sector data show that construction faced the sharpest proportional fall. Open positions in the industry dropped by 47 per cent year on year. Since 2022, the number of vacancies in construction has fallen to less than one third of its peak level.
In absolute terms, the largest reductions occurred in trade, transport and storage, and accommodation and food services. Those sectors recorded 2,300 fewer vacancies than a year earlier.
Temporary contracts accounted for a growing share of available jobs. Over the full year, 43 per cent of all vacancies were fixed-term roles. That marked an increase of six percentage points compared with 2024.
“The share rose by six percentage points from the previous year. The lowest share on record was in 2022, when it stood at under one third,” Lahdenmäki said.
In the final quarter alone, 30 per cent of vacancies were fixed term and 16 per cent part time.
“The share of fixed-term jobs remained at the level seen a year earlier, while the share of part-time jobs fell by six percentage points. In relative terms, the sharpest fall occurred in part-time posts, as only half as many were available as a year earlier,” said Kirsi Toivonen, Chief Actuary at Statistics Finland.
The data also show that almost 70 per cent of open jobs in 2025 were in private companies. Municipalities and joint municipal authorities accounted for 17 per cent, while the central government accounted for just over 3 per cent.
According to Eurostat figures published in January, Finland recorded an unemployment rate of 10.6 per cent in November 2025, which was the highest rate among European Union member states for the month.
HT