Home > Statistics > Job vacancy survey > 2015 > 4th quarter > More open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2015 than one year earlier

Published: 17 February 2016

More open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2015 than one year earlier

According to the Job Vacancy Survey of Statistics Finland, there were 21,900 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2015, which is 11 per cent more than one year earlier (19,800). The reference period of the data is 1 December. In the whole of 2015, there were 28,900 open job vacancies, on average, which is roughly the same number as in the previous year (28,500).

Job vacancies 2014/IV – 2015/IV

	Year/Quarter
	2014/IV		2015/IV
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	19 800		21 900
Part-time	4 300	22	4 300	20
Fixed term	6 700	34	8 100	37
Hard-to-fill vacancies	8 300	42	9 800	45
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 2015, in all, 15,600 or 71 per cent of the job vacancies were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while one year earlier the corresponding share was 75 per cent. Compared with the quarter one year earlier, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the major regions of Helsinki-Uusimaa and Southern Finland. Examined by the industry of the establishment, open job vacancies increased most in the industry group of manufacturing, mining and quarrying and other industry (+1,800).

In the last quarter of the year, 20 per cent of all open job vacancies were part-time positions and 37 per cent were fixed-term. The shares changed only slightly from one year ago. Employers estimated that 45 per cent of the job vacancies in the last quarter were hard to fill, while one year earlier the corresponding share was 42 per cent. For example, the trade industry had plenty of jobs in sales considered hard to fill, and information and communication activities had many IT expert positions that were considered hard to fill.

The number of open job vacancies can also be viewed on annual level as averages of the quarterly figures. Of the open job vacancies in 2015, on average, 74 per cent were offered by establishments owned by private enterprises, while the corresponding share in 2014 was 71 per cent. Open job vacancies increased in the major region of Helsinki-Uusimaa (+1,200). Examined by the industry of the establishment, the number of job vacancies rose particularly from one year ago in establishments belonging to the industry group of trade, transportation and storage, and accommodation and food service activities (+1,200) and decreased most in the industry group of professional, scientific and technical activities, and administrative and support service activities (-1,000).

Examined on the annual level, the shares of part-time and fixed-term jobs in all job vacancies changed relatively little. The difficulties experienced by employers in filling open job vacancies increased somewhat. On average, 37 per cent of the open job vacancies in 2015 were assessed as hard-to-fill by the employers, while in 2014 the corresponding share was 33 per cent.

Job vacancies in 2014 – 2015

	Year
	2014		2015
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	28 500		28 900
Part-time	6 700	24	6 400	22
Fixed term	13 300	47	12 800	44
Hard-to-fill vacancies	9 500	33	10 700	37
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 data provider can respond either using the web questionnaire or through 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 (only in Finnish). The figures in the tables are rounded, for which reason the sums do not always amount to the totals. The accuracy of estimates 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 2015, 4th quarter. Statistics Finland.

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (261.6 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 2014/IV - 2015/IV (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 2. Job vacancies by size of the local kind of activity unit 2014/IV - 2015/IV (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 3. Job vacancies by employer sector of the local kind of activity unit 2014/IV - 2015/IV (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 4. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the local kind of activity unit 2014/IV - 2015/IV (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 5. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the local kind of activity unit 2014/IV - 2015/IV (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 6. Job vacancies by employer sector of the local kind of activity unit in 2014 - 2015 (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 7. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the local kind of activity unit in 2014 - 2015 (17.2.2016)
• Appendix table 8. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the local kind of activity unit in 2014 - 2015 (17.2.2016)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Job vacancies by the quarters (17.2.2016)
• Appendix figure 2. Job vacancies by type of employment relationship (17.2.2016)

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Updated 17.2.2016