Living and Working in Finland

1. Employment and Economic Development Office Living and Working in Finland Employment and Economic Development Office Joensuu Vaasa

2. Employment and Economic Development Office Living and Working in Finland Contents • Introduction • Labour market situation • Searching for a job • Training and studying • Moving to Finland • Living and working conditions • Where to find further information

3. Employment and Economic Development Office Introduction • 5,3 million inhabitants • parliamentary republic since 1917 • neighbouring countries: Sweden, Norway, Russia, Estonia • two official languages: Finnish (92%) and Swedish (5,5%) • religions: Evangelical-Lutherans (81,8%), Orthodoxs (1,1%) • member of the EU since 1995 • currency: Euro

4. Employment and Economic Development Office Economic structureEmployed persons by industry Industry (19%) consists of metal and engineering products (48%), forest products (16%), consumer goods (11%) & other manufactured items (25%) Source: Statistics Finland

5. 75% of employees work under a permanent full time contract Some 15% of employees work under a fixed-term contract and only 10% of all job are part-time Women generally participate in the labour market, their employment rate being about 71%. Some 75% of workers belong to a trade union Source: Statistics Finland Employment and Economic Development Office Characteristics ofthe Finnish labour market

6. Employment and unemployment in March 2009 Number of employed persons is 37 000 less than one year earlier Employment rate 68,1% (0,9% less than one year earlier) Unemployment rate is 9.5% - 7.6% last year 45 000 new vacancies (March 2009) at employment offices, 8000 less than March 2008 Source: Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland Employment and Economic Development Office Characteristics of the Finnish labour market

7. Employment and unemployment in February 2009 55 000 persons have been laid off/5 000 have been given notice/fired Unemployment occurs especially in the fields of (export) industry and construction. The service sector as well as social and health care sector has no affects – they are recruiting even more employees. Source: Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland Employment and Economic Development Office Characteristics of the Finnish labour market

8. Employment and Economic Development Office Regional labour market situation

9. the EU enlargement in 2004 and the growing recruitment problems activated the international recruitment cooperation still only about 2% of the Finnish employers looked for the foreign workforce in 2006 foreign workers are mainly recruited from Estonia, Poland and Russia the ageing of the work force affects already on the offer, but especially after 2010 - most urgently in care work and in services Employment and Economic Development Office International recruitments

10. Recruitment problems are increasing as employees retire from the working life (the baby boomers generation in the late 1940’s) Problems occur mostly in Helsinki metropolitan area and other larger cities Most problematic fields: health care, hotel and catering, services TOP 5 Shortages (February 2009) doctor 4. cleaner nurse 5. cook/chef practical nurse 6. hairdresser/barber Employment and Economic Development Office Labour shortages

11. Employment and Economic Development Office Summer Jobs • Nurses • Practical nurses • Shop and market sale persons • Telephone salespersons • ”Berry pickers” • Cooks/chefs • Restaurant service workers • Waiters/waitresses • Au pairs • Cleaners

12. Employment and Economic Development Office Worker’s residence permits • The citizens of countries outside the EEA in most cases need a worker’s residence permit for work in Finland. • The permit is either temporary or continuous. • The application for the worker’s residence permit can be made by either the worker or by the employer. • There are some tasks/brances where one can work without worker’s residence permit: BERRY PICKERS – max. 3 months time - Visa from the Finnish Embassy still needed

13. Employment and Economic Development Office Searching for a job • National labour administration: www.mol.fi • EURES Portal: http://eures.europa.eu • Academic recruitment services: www.aarresaari.net • Companies often recruit through their own internet sites. Typical address is: www.companyname.fi • List of 100 largest Finnish companies: www.uranus.fi • Vacancies in the largest newspapers www.oikotie.fi • Private recruitment agencies e.g. www.manpower.fi, www.adecco.fi, www.barona.fi, www.staffpoint.fi Direct contact with employers!

14. Language skills requirements • Finnish usually required, in some areas Swedish • In English may manage for example: • seasonal gardening, berry picking, kitchen work • IT, engineering, international business, research

15. CV and application letter – by email examples of CVs: http://europass.europa.eu employers usually choose 3 to 5 applicants to be interviewed for demanding posts usually 2 to 3 interviews will be conducted; possible also an aptitude test some employers make only the final selection - the rest of the recruitment process may be outsourced Employment and Economic Development Office Standard application procedures

16. many practical training opportunities for international students and recent graduates in Finland Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) organizes many of the practical training programmes - see also student organisations like ELSA, IAAS, IFMSA, AIESEC More information: CIMO - Centre for International Mobility www.studyinfinland.fi Employment and Economic Development Office Practical training and studying

17. Finland has 20 universities and 30 polytechnics In English over 400 study programmes in higher education Finland was one of the most popular destination countries for exchange students (8th among 31 countries) - University of Helsinki received nearly 500 students alone degree studying (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree) is free of charge Employment and Economic Development Office International student mobility

18. Finnish National Board of Education (OPH) www.oph.fi/info/recognition recognition required for posts in public sector, not required for private sector, unless the profession is regulated (e.g. electricians, pilots) Right to practise profession needed for example for: health care professionals, veterinary surgeons, chartered accountants, advocates, seafarers Contact before coming to Finland Employment and Economic Development Office Recognition of qualifications

19. Employment and Economic Development Office Moving to Finland - First steps • EU registration at the local police: www.poliisi.fi • Population register and home municipality at the Local Register Office: www.maistraatti.fi • Social security at the local social insurance office: www.kela.fi • If employed: Tax card at the local tax office www.vero.fi • If unemployed: Employment office www.mol.fi

20. Employment and Economic Development Office Transferring unemployment benefits / E 303 -form • Contact your employment office in your home country well before your departure to Finland and ask for the E 303 -form • Register at the employment office in Finland within 7 days on your arrival and show the E 303 -form (the employment office signs the form) • Hand out the form to the Kela office • Open a bank account

21. Employment and Economic Development Office Finnish unemployment benefits • Documents concerning work and education history • E 301- form (from other EU-coutries) • 1) The unemployment allowance (employment condition 10 months) • Basic allowance (social insurance, Kela) • Earnings-related (unemployment funds, e.g www.ytk.fi ) • 2) The labour market subsidy • Integration assistance to immigrants • For a single person: 24,51 €/day (in 2008) • www.kela.fi (basic allowance and labour market subsidy) • www.tyj.fi (earnings-related)

22. Employment and Economic Development Office Terms of Employment • Collective agreements specifying pay rates for various sectors • If there is no collective agreement (e.g. domestic helpers), the salary should be at least 980,40 €/month (in 2008) • Regular working hours are 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with two days' leave per calendar month worked • More information: www.tyosuojelu.fi, www.mol.fi/finnwork Ask for the employment contract in written form!

23. Employment and Economic Development Office Examples of gross incomes • Private sector (2006): • IT Programmer 3 528 € / month • Carpenter 2 063 € / month • Hairdresser/Barber 1 728 € / month • Truck driver 2 147 € / month • Public sector (2007): • Cleaner 1 725 € / month • Class teacher 2 995 € /month • Nurse 2 510 € / month • Librarian 2 198 € / month An average Finnish salary 2 781 €/month (2008, 2nd quarter) Source: Statistics Finland

24. Employment and Economic Development Office Taxation • Income tax: • Up to 6 months: tax at source 35% NB! Tax deduction of 510 € each month or 17 € per day for each working day • More than 6 months: progressive income tax • For an average Finnish salary 2 781 €/month (33 372 €/year): the share of taxes and compulsory contributions is between 21 and 26.5 %* • More information: www.vero.fi * local taxes vary from one city/municipality to the other; in addition, members of the Finnish Lutheran/ Orthodox church pay a church tax (1 – 2,25%)

25. Employment and Economic Development Office Accommodation Where to look for? • Internet portals: www.oikotie.fi, www.etuovi.com • Yellow pages: www.keltaisetsivut.fi • Private companies: e.g. www.sato.fi, www.yh.fi • Newspapers: www.sanomalehdet.fi • Information about housing in Finland: www.housing.fi • Municipalities in Finland: www.kunnat.net • Youth hostels: www.srmnet.org

26. Employment and Economic Development Office Accommodation How much will it cost? • Examples : • Average rent for a two room flat: 400 – 700 €/month • Average price for a two room flat: 80 000 – 120 000 € • In Helsinki metropolitan area the prices are considerably higher, in the countryside considerably lower

27. Employment and Economic Development Office Further information: • Information of living and working, vacancies: http://eures.europa.eu • Detailed information for foreign workers: www.mol.fi/finnwork, www.infopankki.fi • Studying and practical training: www.studyinfinland.fi • General information: http://virtual.finland.fi Welcome to Finland!

28. Employment and Economic Development Office Thank You !EURES-advisersKristina RönnblomTaru Asikainen