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

2. 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 Employment and Economic Development Office

3. -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 Introduction Employment and Economic Development Office

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

5. Characteristics of the Finnish labour market  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

6. Characteristics of the Finnish labour market 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

7. Characteristics of the Finnish labour market 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

8. Regional labour market situation Employment and Economic Development Office

9. International recruitments  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

10. Labour shortages  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) 1.doctor 4. cleaner 2.nurse5. cook/chef 3.practical nurse 6. hairdresser/barber Employment and Economic Development Office

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

12.  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 Worker’s residence permits Employment and Economic Development Office

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

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. Standard application procedures  CV and application letter – by email  examples of CVs: http://europass.europa.euhttp://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

16. Practical training and studying  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.fiwww.studyinfinland.fi Employment and Economic Development Office

17. International student mobility  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 (8 th 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

18. Recognition of qualifications 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

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

20.  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 Transferring unemployment benefits / E 303 -form Employment and Economic Development Office

21.  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 )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.kela.fi  www.tyj.fi (earnings-related) www.tyj.fi Finnish unemployment benefits Employment and Economic Development Office

22.  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/finnworkwww.tyosuojelu.fiwww.mol.fi/finnwork Ask for the employment contract in written form! Terms of Employment Employment and Economic Development Office

23.  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 Examples of gross incomes Employment and Economic Development Office

24.  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.fiwww.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%) Taxation Employment and Economic Development Office

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

26. 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 Accommodation Employment and Economic Development Office

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

28. Thank You ! EURES-advisers Kristina Rönnblom Taru Asikainen Employment and Economic Development Office