Finland see drastic drop in Summer job opportunities

Finland is seeing a notable shortage of summer job openings this year, with nearly half the number of positions that were on offer last year.

In March, job search engine Duunitori listed 4,300 summer job posts, which reflected a 47 percent decline compared to the same time last year, according to the company’s spokesperson, Maiju Karhunen.

She told Yle that the decrease in summer jobs is a reflection of the rocky economy.

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) has said it anticipates a weaker summer job market this year. According to the confederation’s polling, one fifth of Finnish companies planned to reduce the number of summer hires this year.

In early April, Duunitori had fewer — around 4,100 — summer job listings than it did last month.

According to Karhunen, summer jobs are always popular but there are many ways to find one. However, it’s always an employer’s market, with applicants outnumbering available positions.

“Persistence is rewarded and using your imagination gives you an advantage. Acquaintances or social media can also be helpful in finding opportunities,” Karhunen explained.

However, the majority of young people still turn to employment websites.

In March, the majority of advertisements published on Duunitori were in the restaurant and tourism sector, sales as well as the social and care sector.

Read more via YLE