Finland, one of the happiest countries on Earth, is known for its environment-friendly laws, government-focused aid, and ease of living. Even with all those positives, there is currently an issue on the rise that should have Finland worried. People who currently migrate or have been in Finland for years might notice that entering the labour market there isn’t as easy as it should be.
The simple answer, there is rampant discrimination and large barriers facing everyday jobseekers. Also, employment offices are not as efficient as they need to be, companies are secretly discriminating, and language learning assistance is minimal.
In the thesis study done by Jeskanen (2023), the issue facing jobseekers is shown to be rather serious. It may play a significant part in why foreign workers are looking elsewhere.
The issues
According to a survey conducted, many participants claimed that language by and large is the number one difficulty facing them in the labour market. While either because of discrimination or just a general barrier, the main reason for the issue was due to the lack of outlets for language learning in the working environment. While there may be courses provided by higher educational institutes or by the regional area, these classes were not that helpful in finding a job. (Jeskanen 2023, 34.) It can be hard for a non-fluent speaker to find suitable job listings, as most employers require a native speaking level.
Once a jobseeker finally finds a suitable job, the next issue arises. Due to ethnic-related discrimination, there is a chance that a jobseeker will not even get out of the early hiring stage. Employers may not call back someone just because of the ethnicity of someone’s last name. The extremity can reach up to a 30% difference in callback rates from the native ethnicity compared to a foreign one. Even when the workers are completely identical in job experience. (Ahmad 2020, 659–681.) Ethnic discrimination can end up creating an ethnic hierarchy, where society prefers one non-native ethnic group compared to another. This can lead to pocket communities where less preferred ethnic groups struggle to adapt to the native society. From there, tensions and violent tendencies can rise between these ethnic groups versus the native. (Dancygier & Laitin 2014, 43–64.)
Lastly, another problem facing jobseekers is the lack of efficiency in government-run employment offices. The main office that is meant to assist, is seen rather negatively, leaving most jobseekers to use other services. In the same survey, all of the participants that had used the services of the employment offices failed to find employment from them. (Jeskanen 2023, 34.) For foreign workers, when having a comparably small social connection, not having access to an efficient job office can make all the difference in living in Finland.
The future
While currently, the situation seems negative, some positive changes are coming. The Finnish government recognizes the issues that are affecting the labour market and are hoping to address them in 2025. With the aid of some reforms, focusing on the employment offices as well as a major reform focused on the integration of migrant workers, there is still hope for jobseekers in Finland. (Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö 2019.) Only time will tell.
Authors
Tristan Jeskanen is a dual citizen of Finland and the U.S. He will graduate from LAB University of Applied Sciences, Bachelor’s Degree Programme in International Business in summer 2023.
Sari Suominen works as a Senior Lecturer at LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti.
References
Ahmad, A. 2020. Ethnic discrimination against second-generation immigrants in hiring: empirical evidence from a correspondence test. European Societies. Vol. 22(5), 659–681. Cited 4 Jun 2023. Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1822536
Dancygier, R. & Laitin, D. 2014. Immigration into Europe: Economic discrimination, violence, and public policy. Annual Review of Political Science. Vol. 17, 43–64. Cited 4 Jun 2023. Available at https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-082012-115925
Jeskanen, T. 2023. Discrimination in the Finnish Workplace. Thesis. LAB University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Business and Hospitality Management. Lahti. Cited 5 Jun 2023. Limited availability at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023060421182
RonaldCandonga. 2020. Carreño, R. Job, office, team, business. Pixabay. Cited 5 Jun 2023. Available at https://pixabay.com/photos/job-office-team-business-internet-5382501/
Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö. 2019. Hallituksen esitys laiksi kotoutumisen edistämisestä ja siihen liittyviksi laeiksi. Cited 21 Jun 2023. Available at https://tem.fi/hanke?tunnus=TEM100:00/2019
