Almost half of small business owners support delaying summer holidays, survey finds

A new survey by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises reveals that nearly half of small and medium-sized business owners support moving the summer holiday period to August, according to a report by Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

In the poll, 47% of respondents backed the shift, while roughly one-third opposed it and about one-quarter were undecided. Support was highest in retail, industry, and professional services, and lowest in construction. Geographically, entrepreneurs in the Helsinki region and Eastern Finland were the most supportive.

The survey, conducted by research firm Verian in early April, included over 1,000 small business representatives, with a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

Business group calls for serious consideration

The Federation of Finnish Enterprises urged policymakers to seriously evaluate the proposal, arguing that labor availability typically declines in August as seasonal workers return to studies. CEO Mikael Pentikäinen noted that August is already a holiday month in many European countries, and extending the peak season could ease workforce shortages.

Sanna Lempiäinen, an expert at the federation, added that the change could also benefit working parents by allowing more flexible scheduling of vacations between July and August.

Last March, Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz announced that the Ministry of Education and Culture would investigate shifting school summer holidays. While the Centre Party, Swedish People’s Party, and Movement Now support the idea, the opposition Social Democrats and the Trade Union of Education (OAJ) have opposed it. The federation has called for the ministry’s report to be completed as soon as possible, though no timeline has been provided.