Foreign-recruited nurses protected from layoffs as Finnish care workers face job cuts
Finnish care workers are criticising what they see as unequal treatment, as foreign-recruited nurses with long-term contracts remain employed while domestic staff face layoffs, Yle reports.
The disparity stems from multi-year fixed-term contracts typically given to nurses hired from abroad, often lasting 2–3 years. These agreements have shielded them from recent workforce reductions in healthcare, according to Päivi Inberg, chair of Super, the union representing practical nurses.
“Finnish staff are understandably confused—why are their jobs ending while others continue?” Inberg said, noting that terminating long-term contracts is not straightforward.
Elisa Vepsäläinen, CEO of recruitment firm Silkkitie—which has brought roughly half of Finland’s foreign nurses to the country—acknowledged that the lengthy contracts provide protection. However, she stressed that foreign recruits have made significant commitments, including 6–9 months of language studies before relocation.
Vepsäläinen also cited bureaucratic requirements in the Philippines, where most recruitment occurs, as a factor behind the extended contracts. “The goal has been to ensure a smooth transition to Finland,” she said, emphasising that foreign workers have the same rights as Finnish employees.
Recruitment of foreign nurses has plummeted, with Silkkitie’s intake dropping by 90% last year compared to 2022. In 2023, fewer than 100 nurses arrived through the company, down from a peak in previous years.
The decline follows widespread layoffs in public and private healthcare, driven by budget cuts and a government-mandated reduction in nurse-to-patient ratios in elderly care. With Finland’s public finances under pressure to meet EU fiscal rules, further austerity is expected—even as demand for healthcare grows and staff retire.
Inberg described the situation as a “downturn” but expressed hope for improvement. “It’s challenging in the current economic climate,” she said.