The happiest country in the world is looking for skilled workers to join its workforce.
Finland is facing a workforce shortage due to weak population growth and aging population.
The United Nations projects that by 2030, the old-age dependency ratio in Finland will rise to 47.5 percent.
Moreover, the government has warned that the European country needs to double immigration levels to 20,000-30,000 annually to maintain public services and cushion a looming pensions deficit.
Finland continues to face the largest skilled worker shortage amongst member countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
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With international recognition that the country gets left and right for the high quality of life, freedom, and gender equality, with little corruption, crime and pollution, Finland is still having an issue attracting immigrants to work in their country.
Even Helsinki mayor Jan Vaaavuori himself acknowledged that being named as the world’s happiest country by a UN ranking for four consecutive years “did not yet helped as much as we could have hoped.”
“If you stop someone in the street in Paris or London or Rome or New York, I still don’t think most people know about us,” he told AFP.
Tapping skilled migrant workers
To cushion the looming crisis on greying population, Finland’s recruiters, backed by the government, are now seeking to attract IT and maritime professionals from India, Russia and Southeast Asia, as well as health workers from Spain, and metalworkers from Slovakia.
Despite the aggressive recruiting, several immigrants have left Finland due to their complex language, cold climate, an ultra-high standard of living, and challenges in finding jobs for spouses.
Vaavouri added that he observed a widespread reluctance to recognize overseas experience or qualifications, as well as prejudice against non-Finnish applicants.
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He furthered that despite having more vacancies than applicants, job hunters are still struggling to find work.
However, studies indicate that the local employers are now changing their mindsets.
Vapaavuori, whose four-year term ends this summer, has tapped international PR firms to help promote the city.
He said he is optimistic about Finland’s ability to attract talent from Asia in future and believes people’s priorities will change once international mobility ramps up again soon after the pandemic ends.
Helsinki’s strengths, being “safe, functional, reliable, predictable — those values have gained in importance,” he said, adding: “Actually I think our position after the pandemic is better than it was before.” (RA)
