Fewer Finns changing jobs in 2024 has become a clear trend in Finland’s labor market. New data from Statistics Finland shows that the share of workers moving to new employers is lower than in past years, reflecting both economic uncertainty and shifting career paths.
The figures reveal that only 1.6 percent of employed people aged 15 to 74 switched employers each month on average in 2024. In comparison, the monthly average was 1.8 percent in 2023. This decline highlights slower labor mobility at a time when the Finnish economy is under pressure.
Senior statistician Tuomo Heikura of Statistics Finland noted that the drop in job changes has been visible across all age groups. He explained that the recent weakness in the labor market reduced job switching, yet the overall level in 2024 was still similar to the average seen over the last decade.
In a European perspective, Finland remains aligned with its Nordic neighbors in labor mobility trends. Younger workers are still the most active when it comes to changing jobs, often moving between temporary roles or part-time contracts before finding positions that match their field of study.
However, fewer Finns changing jobs is not limited to older workers. Even younger groups have shown a decline in switching employers in recent years. Heikura linked the higher youth turnover to transitions at the start of careers, while older workers tend to stay longer with one employer.
Industry also plays a role. Job changes are clearly more common in service-based sectors compared to manufacturing. This difference reflects the higher number of flexible contracts and temporary roles in services.
For the purpose of the statistics, a job change was defined as a move from one main employer to another. Short-term side jobs, holiday gaps, or unpaid leave were excluded by checking employment status at multiple points in time. Business ID changes and acquisitions, however, were counted as job transfers.
The source of the data was Statistics Finland’s experimental monthly labor market activity statistics, which track people aged 15 to 74 and their main work activity.
The long-term decline in labor mobility has attracted attention from both economists and policymakers. A flexible labor market is considered important for wage growth, productivity, and resilience in times of economic change.
Despite the slowdown, the fact that Finland’s job switching rate remains within the historical norm shows that the market is not completely stalled. Still, the outlook is uncertain, and job trends will continue to be closely monitored as economic policy, taxation, and education reforms unfold.
