Open job vacancies fall 15 percent in early 2026

The number of open job vacancies in Finland fell to 48,600 in the first quarter of 2026, a 15 percent decline from the same period a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Finland reported by STT via Yle on Thursday.

The figures, which reflect the situation at the beginning of March, continue a downward trend that began in 2022. The last time year-on-year growth was recorded was in 2022.

The largest absolute decrease in vacancies came from private-sector companies. The steepest relative drop occurred in state-sector jobs, where the number of open positions nearly halved compared to the previous year.

About one-quarter of all vacancies were considered difficult to fill by employers, a share slightly lower than a year earlier. Among the open positions, 51 percent were temporary and 20 percent were part-time.