Fewer than 10% of immigrants come to Finland because of work
Migrant workers are not the reason for the growth in immigration
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A private pension saver who is now in his or her 40s will have to decide around 2030 whether to withdraw all savings and start being pampered. Whether to enjoy massages and pursue hobbies with manicured nails.
The problem is that there will be many who wish to have manicures, while a shortage of manicurists themselves will be a stark fact, if the current population forecasts come true.
In order to curb the threatening shortage of labour, there are plans to recruit migrant workers. However, the influx of migrant workers is not shown in the migration statistics as yet.
Last year more people moved into Finland than ever during the country's period of independence. The net immigration gain was 8,800 individuals.
However, immigrants are not keener than before to move to Finland on account of work. According to the estimates of the Ministry of Labour, only 5 to 10 percent of immigrants entering Finland have work as their number-one incentive. The number of migrant workers is level with the proportion of refugees or Ingrian Finnish returnee migrants.
This number is about 400 individuals. Chief Inspector Olli Sorainen of the Ministry of Labour stresses that the number is an estimate, and it has been approximately the same for the past few years.
"An active immigration policy is under discussion", reports economist Simo Pinomaa of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK.
EK has been loudly demanding that more foreign workers should be recruited. "While there are plans and targets, no results can be seen in the statistics yet."
Among the EK member associations, the number of foreign employees is about one percent.
The annual number of contract workers on individual gigs has increased to about 20,000 at the turn of the millennium. The overwhelming majority of them are berry pickers. The annual number of trained gig workers visiting the country is some 1,500.
It is difficult to obtain more accurate information about foreign labour, as for instance there are no statistics about the work performed by the citizens of the so-called old EU countries. On the other hand, the free movement of workers is being hampered by the transition period of the new EU countries, which applies to the eight new member-states who joined the European Union in 2004. According to the Transition Period Act, working in Finland remains subject to permit for citizens of these countries. An extension of the transition period is under debate.
The increased number of immigrants indicated by the statistics can be explained by the migration of Finns themselves. Some 40 percent of incoming migrants are Finnish citizens, and a major proportion of them are found in the group of the over 55-year-old migrants. No way will they be fit to serve as manicurists or masseurs in the next couple of decades.
In 2030, the number of Finnish citizens over the age of 65 is predicted to be 600,000 greater than in 2006. On the other hand, the size of the working-age population will be down by 300,000 individuals.
In addition to a greying population, another problem in the Finnish labour market is the fact that unemployed persons are rarely suitable for the jobs available. Moreover, for the labour unions the recruitment of labour from abroad is also problematic. They suspect that Finnish corporations might just be on a quest for the cheapest possible labour.
Even the government's recent programme on immigration conducted by the Ministry of Labour is now focusing on migrant workers, while the previous programme five years ago concentrated on refugees.
The problem is that there will be many who wish to have manicures, while a shortage of manicurists themselves will be a stark fact, if the current population forecasts come true.
In order to curb the threatening shortage of labour, there are plans to recruit migrant workers. However, the influx of migrant workers is not shown in the migration statistics as yet.
Last year more people moved into Finland than ever during the country's period of independence. The net immigration gain was 8,800 individuals.
However, immigrants are not keener than before to move to Finland on account of work. According to the estimates of the Ministry of Labour, only 5 to 10 percent of immigrants entering Finland have work as their number-one incentive. The number of migrant workers is level with the proportion of refugees or Ingrian Finnish returnee migrants.
This number is about 400 individuals. Chief Inspector Olli Sorainen of the Ministry of Labour stresses that the number is an estimate, and it has been approximately the same for the past few years.
"An active immigration policy is under discussion", reports economist Simo Pinomaa of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK.
EK has been loudly demanding that more foreign workers should be recruited. "While there are plans and targets, no results can be seen in the statistics yet."
Among the EK member associations, the number of foreign employees is about one percent.
The annual number of contract workers on individual gigs has increased to about 20,000 at the turn of the millennium. The overwhelming majority of them are berry pickers. The annual number of trained gig workers visiting the country is some 1,500.
It is difficult to obtain more accurate information about foreign labour, as for instance there are no statistics about the work performed by the citizens of the so-called old EU countries. On the other hand, the free movement of workers is being hampered by the transition period of the new EU countries, which applies to the eight new member-states who joined the European Union in 2004. According to the Transition Period Act, working in Finland remains subject to permit for citizens of these countries. An extension of the transition period is under debate.
The increased number of immigrants indicated by the statistics can be explained by the migration of Finns themselves. Some 40 percent of incoming migrants are Finnish citizens, and a major proportion of them are found in the group of the over 55-year-old migrants. No way will they be fit to serve as manicurists or masseurs in the next couple of decades.
In 2030, the number of Finnish citizens over the age of 65 is predicted to be 600,000 greater than in 2006. On the other hand, the size of the working-age population will be down by 300,000 individuals.
In addition to a greying population, another problem in the Finnish labour market is the fact that unemployed persons are rarely suitable for the jobs available. Moreover, for the labour unions the recruitment of labour from abroad is also problematic. They suspect that Finnish corporations might just be on a quest for the cheapest possible labour.
Even the government's recent programme on immigration conducted by the Ministry of Labour is now focusing on migrant workers, while the previous programme five years ago concentrated on refugees.
Helsingin Sanomat