Home > Statistics > Job vacancy survey > 2018 > 4th quarter > More open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2018 than one year earlier

Published: 19 February 2019

More open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2018 than one year earlier

There were 41,000 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2018, while the figure was 37,200 one year before. The data appear from Statistics Finland's statistics on open job vacancies and describe the situation on the first day of December. In 2018, there were 49,400 open job vacancies, on average, which is 19 per cent more than in the previous year (41,600).

Job vacancies 2017/IV – 2018/IV

	Year/Quarter
	2017/IV		2018/IV
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	37 200		41 000
Part-time	6 900	19	6 600	16
Fixed term	9 500	26	11 900	29
Hard-to-fill vacancies	19 900	54	24 200	59
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 2018, in all, 29,200 or 71 per cent of the job vacancies were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while one year earlier they amounted to 27,400 or 74 per cent of all job vacancies. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the local government sector (+2,800) and in establishments with 5 to 9 employees (+3,900). Examined by the industry of the establishment, job vacancies increased most in the industry group of professional, scientific and technical activities, and administrative and support service activities (M, N).

In the last quarter of the year, 16 per cent of all open job vacancies were part-time positions and 29 per cent were fixed-term. Employers estimated that more than one-half of all open vacancies were hard-to-fill, as in the corresponding period of the previous year. For example, establishments in construction (F) and human health and social work (Q) had plenty of jobs considered hard-to-fill.

The number of open job vacancies can also be viewed on the annual level as averages of the quarterly figures . In 2018, on average, 74 per cent of the job vacancies or 36,400 were in establishments owned by private enterprises, while in 2017 they amounted to 32,000 or 77 per cent of all job vacancies. Compared with the previous year, the number of open job vacancies increased especially in the major region of Helsinki-Uusimaa (+4,800). Examined by the industry of the establishment, the number of job vacancies increased most on the annual level in establishments belonging to the industry groups of trade, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities (G–I) and public administration, education, human health and social work activities (O–Q).

Examined on the annual level, 20 per cent of job vacancies were part-time jobs and 36 per cent fixed-term. Employers reported having experienced difficulties in filling open job vacancies more often than in the previous year. Employers estimated that, on average, 53 per cent of the open job vacancies were hard-to-fill in 2018, while in 2017, the share was 45 per cent.

Job vacancies in 2017 – 2018

	Year
	2017		2018
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	41 600		49 400
Part-time	7 700	19	9 700	20
Fixed term	16 800	40	17 600	36
Hard-to-fill vacancies	18 600	45	26 100	53
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 and 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. The figures in the tables are rounded, for which reason the sums do not always amount to the totals. 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 2018, 4th quarter. Statistics Finland.

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (268.6 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 2017/IV - 2018/IV (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 2. Job vacancies by size of the establishment 2017/IV - 2018/IV (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 3. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment 2017/IV - 2018/IV (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 4. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the establishment 2017/IV - 2018/IV (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 5. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment 2017/IV - 2018/IV (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 6. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment in 2017 - 2018 (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 7. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the establishment in 2017 - 2018 (19.2.2019)
• Appendix table 8. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment in 2017 - 2018 (19.2.2019)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Job vacancies by quarter (19.2.2019)
• Appendix figure 2. Job vacancies by quarter by type of employment relationship (19.2.2019)

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Updated 19.2.2019