News 18 Dec 2015
People of foreign background, having lived in Finland for a long time find employment well
It is more difficult for persons of foreign background to find employment than for persons of Finnish background. However, the employment of persons of foreign background, who have lived in Finland for over ten years is close to the employment rate of persons of Finnish background.
The employment rate of persons of foreign background aged 20 to 64 was ten percentage points lower (64%) than that of persons of Finnish background (74%) in 2014. However, the employment rate of persons of foreign background, who have lived in Finland for over ten years, differed only by five percentage points from that of persons of Finnish background.
Highly educated people and those coming from Estonia, EU and EFTA countries, as well as North America have had it easiest to find employment. Persons who have moved for work or studying have also found employment well, as have those who speak Finnish at least on an advanced level.
Even though the employment situation is hardest for those with refugee background, one-in-two persons with refugee background, who had lived in Finland for over ten years, were employed in 2014.
Finding employment was slowest for women of foreign background of whom many have formed families at a younger age than women of Finnish background. In 2014, the employment rate of men of foreign background was only a few percentage points lower than that of men of Finnish background.
Employment rate (%) by gender and background, population aged 20 to 64 in Finland in 2014
Source: The Survey on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin 2014, Statistics Finland
Persons of foreign background are employed in service occupations
Persons of foreign background were employed as service and sales workers and in elementary occupations more often than those of Finnish background in 2014. The employment relationship of wage and salary earners of foreign background was more often fixed-term or part-time or temporary agency work than of persons of Finnish background. The working hours of persons of foreign background were also atypical more often than those of persons of Finnish background. Persons of foreign background in working life felt that social relationships and treatment at the workplace were mainly positive.
The unemployment rate of persons of foreign background aged 20 to 64 was higher (16%) than that of persons of Finnish background (8%) in 2014. However, persons of foreign background were very willing to work and they also looked for work more actively than unemployed persons of Finnish background. Persons of foreign background felt that the main reason for not finding employment was their lack of language skills.
Persons of foreign background feel their health and quality of life is good but health problems accumulate among certain groups
Persons of foreign background felt that their health is average or worse (20%) less often than the entire population of Finland (31%). The health differences between women and men were mostly higher among the population of foreign background than in the entire population: many health problems are more common among women of foreign background.
Mental problems and problems related to the experienced quality of life were common among persons of Middle Eastern and North African origin. In these groups, both men and women had more mental health problems, for example, depression, and a majority of them had experienced serious traumatic events in their former home country and had arrived in Finland as refugees. The share of persons feeling that their life quality is good was also lower for persons of Middle Eastern and North African origin than for the entire population of Finland or among other groups of foreign background.
Many life style choices were more health promoting among persons of foreign background than among the entire Finnish population. For example, more persons of foreign background (31%) did not use alcohol at all than among the entire population (12%). Fewer people of foreign background (10%) also consumed a lot of alcohol than among the entire Finnish population (31%). However, smoking was considerably more common among men of Russian, Estonian and Asian origin, as well as among men belonging to the group of Middle Eastern and North African origin (30 to 42%) than for the entire Finnish male population (19%).
In terms of health, the low level of fitness training and prevalence of overweight among women of Middle Eastern and North African origin was worrying. Mobility problems and estimates of weakened working capacity were also most common among persons of Middle Eastern and North African origin. Of persons belonging to these groups, one-in-four felt that some health problem restricted their everyday life and nearly as many estimated that they were partially or fully unable to work.
The survey results indicate that the use of social and health care services among persons of foreign background does not fully correspond with their service needs, especially not in terms of mental health services.
Results of the Survey on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin now as a publication
The data are based on the Survey on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin conducted in collaboration between Statistics Finland, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The results depict the population of foreign background aged 15 to 64 living permanently in Finland in 2014, that is, persons, whose both parents were born abroad. The survey was also financed by the EU's Integration Fund, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
Survey results related to the reasons for immigration, education, language skills and psychological well-being have been published throughout autumn 2015 on the web pages of Statistics Finland and the National Institute for Health and Welfare. The Survey report on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin 2014 (only in Finnish) published on Thursday 17 December 2015 contains, in addition to the previously published results, data on the labour market position, living conditions and experienced health of persons of foreign background, for example.
The survey report on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin 2014 (only in Finnish)
Thematic pages on immigrants and integration (only in Finnish) /Statistics Finland)
Our health web service (only in Finnish) (The National Institute for Health and Welfare)
Further information, Statistics Finland:
Senior Researcher Hanna Sutela +358 29 551 2907
Senior Statistician Tarja Nieminen +358 29 551 3561
Further information, National Institute for Health and Welfare:
Research Manager Anu Castaneda +358 29 524 7848
Research Manager Päivikki Koponen +358 29 524 8868
Researcher Satu Jokela +358 29 524 7510
Further information, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health:
Researcher Minna Toivanen +358 43 824 4506
Senior Researcher Ari Väänänen +358 40 582 4540