Living and Working in Finland

1
Living and Working in Finland

• Information for an EU Jobseeker
• IOLAVORO 9-10 OTTOBRE, Torino
• Employment and Economic Development Office of
  Hämeenlinna Region, Finland

Updated in September 2009
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

3
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 (80,6),
  Orthodoxs (1,1) (2008)
• member of the EU since 1995
• foreign citizens 2,7 (mainly in Helsinki
  metropolitan area) (2008)
• currency Euro

•  

4
Employed persons by sector2nd quarter 2009
Source Statistics Finland
5
Characteristics ofthe Finnish labour market

• 76 of employees work under a permanent full
  time contract
• Some 15 of employees work under a fixed-term
  contract, c. two thirds of these are women
• Women generally participate in the labour
  market, their employment rate being 68,5 .
  Women are also mainly
• full-time employees.
• 21 of jobs are part-time
• Some 75 of workers belong to a trade union
• Labour shortages and unemployment commonly
  occur simultaneously in the Finnish labour
  market
• Source Statistics Finland 2009/08

6
Characteristics of the Finnish labour market

• Employment and unemployment in August 2009
• Number of employed persons 95,000 less than one
  year earlier
• Employment rate 68,7 (OECD/ILO definition)
• Unemployment rate 7,6, 203 000 unemployed
• (OECD/ILO definition)
• 32 000 new vacancies at employment offices
  (08/2009)
• Source Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland

7
Regional labour market situation (2008)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Labour shortages

• most problematic sectors health care and
  services
• TOP 10 Shortages (May 2009)
• registered nurse - hairdresser/barber
• practical nurse - cleaner
• waitress - taxi driver
• cook/chef - sales representative
• - sales agent - telesales person

10
Foreigners in Finland

• 2,7 of the population are foreigners (143
  200)
• Biggest nationality groups are Russians (26
  900), Estonians
• (22 500), Swedes (8 500) and Somalis (4 900)
• The sectors with most foreign workers are
  agriculture forestry,
• industry and construction
• 35 000 unemployed foreigners

11
Foreigners in Finland Biggest nationality groups
(31.12.2008)
12
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!

13
Standard application procedures

• CV and application letter - possibly also
  copies of school leaving certificates and
  references
• examples of CVs http//europass.europa.eu
• employers usually choose 3 to 5 applicants to
  be interviewed
• certificates and references will be studied
  closely
• 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

14
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
• Master Thesis/ Thesis co-operation available
• degree studying (Bachelors or Masters degree)
  is free of charge
• More information
• CIMO - Centre for International Mobility
  www.studyinfinland.fi

15
International student mobility

• Finland has 20 universities and 30 polytechnics
• over 400 study programmes are taught in English
  in Finnish higher education
• ERASMUS student mobility in academic year
  2007-2008 appr. 6400 foreign students to
  Finland, mostly from Germany (1080), France
  (880), Spain (760), Poland (482) and Italy (394)
• Finland was one of the most popular destination
  countries for exchange students (7th among 31
  countries)

16
Recognition of qualifications

• Finnish National Board of Education (OPH)
• Contact before coming to Finland
• recognition required for posts in public sector
• not required for private sector, unless the
  profession in question is regulated (e.g.
  electricians, pilots)
• Right to practise profession needed for the
  following professions health care
  professionals, veterinary surgeons, chartered
  public finance auditors, chartered accountants,
  advocates, seafarers
• Different authorities grant the right
• More information www.oph.fi/info/recognition
  

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Moving to Finland - First steps

•  

• EU registration at the local police
  www.poliisi.fi
• Population register and home municipality at the
  magistrate/registration 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

18
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

19
Finnish unemployment benefits

•  

• Documents concerning work and education history
• E 301- form
• 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 25,63 /day (in 2009)
• www.kela.fi (basic allowance and labour market
  subsidy)
• www.tyj.fi (earnings-related)

20
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
  1.019 /month (in 2009)
• 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!

21
Examples of gross incomes

•  

• Private sector (2008)
• IT Programmer 3 661 / month
• Carpenter 2 500 / month
• Hairdresser/Barber 1 967 / month
• Truck driver 2 449 / month
• Public sector (2008)
• Cleaner 1 762 / month
• Class teacher 3 060 /month
• Nurse 2 688 / month
• Librarian 2 308 / month
• An average Finnish salary 2 862 /month (2008,
  4th quarter)
• Source Statistics Finland

22
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
• Average Finnish salary 2 862 /month (34 344
  /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)

23
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

24
Accommodation

•  

• How much will it cost?
• Average rent for a two room flat (50 m2) 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

25
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!