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Published: 17 February 2022

Clearly more open job vacancies in the last quarter than one year previously

There were 59,100 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2021, while the figure was 33,400 one year earlier. These data derive from Statistics Finland's statistics on open job vacancies and describe the situation on the first day of December. During 2021, the average number of job vacancies was 58,000, whereas in 2020 the number was 43,800. The annual average number of open job vacancies was higher than in 2019, the year preceding the coronavirus pandemic, when they numbered 50,000, on average.

Job vacancies 2020/IV – 2021/IV

	Year/Quarter
	2020/IV		2021/IV
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	33 400		59 100
Part-time	5 300	16	9 300	16
Fixed term	9 000	27	17 600	30
Hard-to-fill vacancies	15 700	47	34 300	58
The sub-groups are not mutually exclusive so their sum does not correspond with the total number of open job vacancies.

In the last quarter of 2021, a total of 40,500 or 68 per cent of the job vacancies were in establishments owned by private enterprises, and one year earlier the corresponding share was nearly as high. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in establishments with 10 to 49 employees (+11,600). Examined by the industry of the establishment, job vacancies increased most in the industry group of trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities (G to I). The number of open job vacancies increased in all major regions but in absolute terms most in Helsinki-Uusimaa (+11,400).

In the last quarter, 30 per cent of all open job vacancies were fixed-term jobs. The share of part-time jobs in all open job vacancies was 16 per cent, the same as in the corresponding period one year previously. Employers estimated that 58 per cent of the open job vacancies were hard-to-fill, while the corresponding share one year earlier was 47 per cent. In absolute numbers, establishments in human health and social work activities (Q) had most jobs considered hard to fill.

The numbers of open job vacancies can also be viewed on the annual level as averages of the quarterly figures . Of the open job vacancies in 2021, on average, 73 per cent were offered by private enterprises, while the corresponding share in the previous year was 69 per cent. The number of open job vacancies increased on the annual level particularly in the major regions of Helsinki-Uusimaa (+5,300) and Western Finland (+4,700) and in the industry group of trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities (G to I).

Examined on the annual level, 35 per cent of all job vacancies were fixed-time jobs and 18 per cent part-time. The difficulties experienced by employers in filling open job vacancies increased compared to the year before. On average, 57 per cent of the open job vacancies in 2021 were assessed as hard-to-fill by the employers, while in 2020 the corresponding share was 48 per cent.

Job vacancies in 2020 – 2021

	Year
	2020		2021
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	43 800		58 000
Part-time	8 200	19	10 600	18
Fixed term	16 500	38	20 100	35
Hard-to-fill vacancies	21 200	48	32 800	57
The sub-groups are not mutually exclusive so their sum does not correspond with the total number of open job vacancies. Annual figures on job vacancies are averages of quarterly figures.

Statistics Finland has been collecting data on open job vacancies quarterly since 2002. The inquiry is directed to persons responsible for recruitment in private or public sector establishments. The survey is answered with either a web questionnaire or a telephone interview. The data collection includes approximately 2,500 different establishments in every quarter. The statistics are based on Regulation (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The objective is to produce up-to-date and comparable information about the number and structure of job openings on the labour markets of EU Member States.

More information about open job vacancies is available in the appendix tables of this release and in the database tables of the statistics. The figures in the tables are rounded, for which reason the sums do not always match the total. The accuracy of figures and standard errors are explained in the quality description of the statistical release (only in Finnish).

Latest data on open job vacancies published by the EU can be found on Eurostat's home page http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat .

Source: Job vacancy survey 2021, 4th quarter. Statistics Finland.

Inquiries: Matti Lahdenmäki 029 551 3690, Minna Wallenius 029 551 2749, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

Publication in pdf-format (276.7 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Job vacancies by the quarters 2020/IV - 2021/IV (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 2. Job vacancies by size of the establishment 2020/IV - 2021/IV (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 3. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment 2020/IV - 2021/IV (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 4. Job vacancies by major region 2020/IV - 2021/IV (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 5. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment 2020/IV - 2021/IV (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 6. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment in 2020 - 2021 (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 7. Job vacancies by major region in 2020 - 2021 (17.2.2022)
• Appendix table 8. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment in 2020 - 2021 (17.2.2022)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Job vacancies by quarter (17.2.2022)
• Appendix figure 2. Job vacancies by quarter by type of employment relationship (17.2.2022)

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Updated 17.2.2022