Seasonal tyre fitter changes up to 30 sets of summer tyres a day during peak period

Seasonal workers in Finland are currently handling high demand as drivers switch to summer tyres, with one 18-year-old fitter in Pori changing up to 30 sets per day at peak times, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Hermanni Reunanen, a trained vehicle mechanic, took on the seasonal role at a local tyre shop after previously working in two auto repair shops. The work is physically demanding, dirty, and noisy, but he says the conditions do not bother him. “This isn’t the cleanest environment—you can probably tell from my face sometimes—but you get used to it,” he told Yle.

The tyre-changing season is short but intense, with long working days. “Sometimes, after a shift, I’m completely spent,” Reunanen said. Despite the challenges, he is working through his first season in the industry, with roughly three more weeks of high demand ahead.

A survey by Yle of four tyre shops found that seasonal positions continue to attract mostly young men, though interest among women is growing. Euromaster, one of the chains surveyed, reported an increasing number of female applicants in recent years. “People are also willing to travel long distances for these jobs, even from the north to the south, wherever work is available,” said Jani Rissanen, Euromaster’s operational director.

The current labour market supports the availability of seasonal workers, according to industry leaders. “There are more construction professionals and people suited for physical work now on the market,” said Teemu Tuuri, CEO of Vianor, another major tyre service chain.

Police in southwest Finland have not yet issued fines for studded winter tyres this week but may begin enforcement as early as next week.