Home > Statistics > Job vacancy survey > 2019 > 4th quarter > Slightly fewer open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2019 than one year earlier

Published: 18 February 2020

Slightly fewer open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2019 than one year earlier

There were 37,500 open job vacancies in the last quarter of 2019, while the figure was 41,000 one year before. These data derive from Statistics Finland's statistics on open job vacancies and describe the situation on the first day of December. In 2019, there were 50,000 open job vacancies, on average, which is roughly the same number as in the previous year (49,400).

Job vacancies 2018/IV – 2019/IV

	Year/Quarter
	2018/IV		2019/IV
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	41 000		37 500
Part-time	6 600	16	6 500	17
Fixed term	11 900	29	11 500	31
Hard-to-fill vacancies	24 200	59	21 800	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 2019 , in all, 26,500 or 71 per cent of the job vacancies were offered by establishments owned by private enterprises. The share was unchanged from the year before. Compared with the corresponding period of the year before, open job vacancies decreased in establishments with at least 10 employees (-4,000) and in the major region of Northern and Eastern Finland (-3,400). Examined by the industry of the establishment, job vacancies decreased (-3,200) in the industry group of professional, scientific and technical activities, administrative and support services activities (M, N) and remained more or less unchanged in most other industries.

In the last quarter of the year, 31 per cent of all job vacancies were fixed-term jobs and 17 per cent part-time jobs. The shares of fixed-term and part-time jobs were close to the level one year ago. Employers estimated that 58 per cent of the open job vacancies were hard-to-fill, which is nearly the same share as one year before. For example, establishments in human health and social work activities (Q) and manufacturing (C) industries 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 . Of the open job vacancies in 2019, on average, 74 per cent were offered by establishments owned by private enterprises, as in the previous year. Examined by the industry of the establishment, the number of open job vacancies grew on the annual level in the industry group of public administration, education and human health and social work activities (O-Q) and decreased in the industry group of other services (R, S).

Examined on the annual level, 36 per cent of all job vacancies were fixed-term jobs and 17 per cent part-time. Employers still reported having quite often experienced difficulties in filling open job vacancies. On average, 56 per cent of the open job vacancies in 2019 were assessed as hard-to-fill by the employers, while in 2018 the corresponding share was 53 per cent.

Job vacancies in 2018 – 2019

	Year
	2018		2019
	Number	Share, %	Number	Share, %
Job vacancies	49 400		50 000
Part-time	9 700	20	8 300	17
Fixed term	17 600	36	18 100	36
Hard-to-fill vacancies	26 100	53	27 900	56
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. 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 2019, 4th quarter. Statistics Finland.

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

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (271.7 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 2018/IV - 2019/IV (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 2. Job vacancies by size of the establishment 2018/IV - 2019/IV (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 3. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment 2018/IV - 2019/IV (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 4. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the establishment 2018/IV - 2019/IV (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 5. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment 2018/IV - 2019/IV (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 6. Job vacancies by employer sector of the establishment in 2018 - 2019 (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 7. Job vacancies by location (major region 2012) of the establishment in 2018 - 2019 (18.2.2020)
• Appendix table 8. Job vacancies by industry (TOL 2008) of the establishment in 2018 - 2019 (18.2.2020)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Job vacancies by quarter (18.2.2020)
• Appendix figure 2. Job vacancies by quarter by type of employment relationship (18.2.2020)

---

Updated 18.2.2020