Labour shortages, bottlenecks, and the quality of vacancies – an analysis of 12 occupational groups

Abstract

The study “Työvoimapula, työvoimakapeikot ja avoimien työpaikkojen laatu – 12 ammattiryhmän tarkastelu” examines labour shortages and bottlenecks both at the aggregate level and within selected SAK-affiliated and other occupational groups. A particular focus of the study is the quality of open vacancies in these occupations, which is also relevant for the emergence of recruitment difficulties.

The main data sources used in the statistical analyses are the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s employment service statistics, occupational barometer data, Statistics Finland’s open vacancies statistics, and the most recent available register data on publicly listed vacancies from 2018. The analysis combines both objective statistical indicators and survey-based or perception-based measures.

The occupational groups selected for detailed analysis include business and administration professionals, customer service workers, service workers, sales workers and shopkeepers, care and health workers, security workers, machine shop and foundry workers, assemblers and repairers, industrial product assemblers, transport workers, cleaners and domestic helpers, elementary workers in industry and construction, and kitchen assistants. In addition, cooks and postal delivery workers were included.

The ratio of vacancies to unemployed job seekers in Finland has increased since 2016. Although this ratio has risen, the number of unemployed job seekers still exceeds vacancies by a multiple, indicating that at the aggregate level the labour market is not particularly tight, even though tightness may exist in specific sectors.

The more detailed occupational-level analysis shows that, in some occupations, there are clear difficulties in labour availability, i.e., bottlenecks. In other occupational groups, the labour market appears more balanced.

Due to limitations in register data, the analysis of job quality focuses on the share of non-standard job characteristics among vacancies, such as part-time work, short-duration contracts, and non-wage employment. In addition, job quality across occupations is assessed using a composite job quality index developed in the study. Compared to the average across all occupations, most of the selected occupational groups exhibit a higher prevalence of non-standard job characteristics in their vacancies. The selected occupations are distributed across both the lowest and middle tiers of the job quality indicator. (AI translation)

• ISSN: 2242-6914 (Online)
• ISBN: 978-952-209-188-8
• Press Release in Finnish
• Publication in PDF-format