Finnish youth face unprecedented competition for summer jobs

Finnish young people are struggling to find summer employment this year as record numbers of applicants compete for a shrinking pool of jobs, reports Yle.

Major employers like fast-food chain Hesburger report a doubling of applications compared to last year, while grocery retailer Lidl has also seen a significant increase. Meanwhile, a survey by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises reveals that small and medium-sized businesses are hiring nearly half as many summer workers as they did two years ago.

The situation reflects broader concerns among young Finns. A recent youth barometer survey found that employment has become the primary source of stress for 70 percent of respondents, with overall life satisfaction at a historic low.

“If you don’t have a job by now, you probably won’t get one”

In Tampere, 18-year-old Akseli Niskanen has applied to around 40 summer positions without success. “It’s frustrating—mostly rejections, or no response at all,” he said. Eero Haapio, also 18, has submitted several applications but remains jobless. “There’s one place I might follow up on, where I did inventory work over New Year’s,” he added.

Both young men say employment prospects influence their education plans. “When choosing where to study, I think about future job opportunities,” Niskanen explained. Haapio agreed: “You have to pick a field where jobs actually exist, not just follow passion.”

Others remain cautiously optimistic. Saara-Marika Mupapa, 19, hopes to work as a berry vendor. “Sometimes it feels hard, but if you start early, you’ll find something,” she said. Sasha Mozghoyvi, 18, who aims to become a veterinarian, has faced repeated rejections: “They always say, ‘We had over a thousand applicants—it wasn’t your turn.’”

Patrik Hyvärinen, who works full-time as a server on Viking Line ferries, acknowledges the tough market. “Friends want to switch fields, but there are so many applicants. Even with education, jobs aren’t guaranteed,” he noted.