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Published: 17 March 2017

Every other student was working while studying

According to Statistics Finland's Education Statistics, employment among students decreased by close on one percentage in 2015 from the previous year. Slightly less than one-half of students were employed during their studies. Since 2004, the share has been highest in 2008 when nearly six out of ten students were employed during their studies.

Shares of employed students aged at least 18 of all students in 2008–2015

Working was most common in connection with university and university of applied sciences studies. Fifty-five per cent of university students and 54 per cent of university of applied sciences students had an employment contract while studying. Close on one-half of students attending upper secondary vocational education were employed during their studies. In 2015, the share of employed students in university education decreased most, by around one percentage point from the year before.

Women worked while studying more frequently than men: 53 per cent of women and 46 per cent of men had an employment contract while studying. The proportion of employed women in upper secondary general education and in university of applied sciences education was ten percentage points higher than that of men. Thirty per cent of women in upper secondary general education were working alongside studies and 56 per cent of women in university of applied sciences education. Fifty-one per cent of women in upper secondary vocational education worked, which was seven percentage points more than for men.

Employment during studies grew clearly the older the students were. While 22 per cent of students aged 18 were working, the share of employed students aged at least 25 was nearly triple. Of 21-year-old students, 39 per cent and of 24-year-old students, 49 per cent had an employment contract. Among students aged 25 or over, 61 per cent were employed during their studies.

Employment of students during studies varied by field of education. Sixty-one per cent of students in the fields of social sciences, and business and administration, 56 per cent of students in the fields of health, welfare and sports, and 53 per cent of students in the fields of humanities and education had a valid employment contract at the end of 2015.

Employment during studies was more common than the average for the whole country in the regions of Uusimaa, Ostrobothnia and Varsinais-Suomi, and in Åland.

More information on the employment of students can be found from the Tables in databases. More information related to the progress of studies is available from statistics describing Progress of studies and Discontinuation of education .

Source: Education. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Vesa Hämäläinen 029 551 2594, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Employment of students aged at least 18 years in 2015 and the share of employed students of all students in 2005-2015 (17.3.2017)
• Appendix table 2. Employment of students aged at least 18 by level of education and gender in 2015 (17.3.2017)
• Appendix table 3. Students and employed students aged at least 18 years by level of education and age in 2015 (17.3.2017)

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Updated 17.3.2017