Immigrant youth in Finland, even those born and raised in the country, face significant challenges when it comes to employment and education. Despite growing up speaking fluent Finnish and attending local schools, young people with foreign backgrounds are less likely to have a job or be enrolled in education compared to their Finnish-background peers.
This issue is highlighted in a recent government report from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which reveals how these young adults struggle to find equal footing in the labor market and academic settings.
The report defines a person with a foreign background as someone whose parents or only known parent was born outside Finland. Among Finnish-born residents aged 18 to 29, those with immigrant roots are noticeably more often unemployed or entirely outside the labor force. They are also less likely to pursue or finish studies, according to data from Statistics Finland. This is a growing group; over the past decade, the number of Finnish-born individuals with foreign backgrounds has tripled, now exceeding 90,000. Many of them live in the Helsinki metropolitan area where jobs are more plentiful, but the challenges remain.
Minna Säävälä, a lead specialist in the ministry’s integration unit, points out that even though these young people have Finnish fluency and were educated locally, they still face barriers that prevent them from succeeding in work or study at the same rate as others. Hiring discrimination continues to affect many jobseekers with foreign backgrounds. Employers often judge candidates based on their names, wrongly assuming a lack of language skills or cultural fit. For example, Jamila Mohamud, a civil engineer who once worked on the Western Metro expansion project, was rejected for a job because of supposed poor Finnish skills despite being fluent. Today, she runs a café in Malmi but recalls how that bias shaped her career opportunities.
Employment patterns also reveal segregation, with immigrant-background workers concentrated in certain sectors like care work. Retail is a common area of study for these youth, but finding work there is often more difficult. Although recruitment bias has lessened slightly in recent years, it still plays a significant role in hiring decisions. The ministry highlights the need to extend employment opportunities beyond the capital region to better support these young adults.
Stories from immigrant youth themselves bring the numbers to life. Sagal Dualeh, born in Helsinki to a Somali family, is currently taking a break from her studies as she pursues a dream of becoming a doctor. Along with a friend, she co-founded a women’s organization to support others with immigrant backgrounds. She shares that the expectations placed on girls from Somali families are high, especially with her mother, a nurse, encouraging them toward further education. Sagal speaks fluent Finnish but, like many others, navigates both cultural and institutional obstacles daily.
Similarly, Sakariye Ali came to Finland as a teenager after growing up in Somalia and Kenya. He has worked various manual jobs while studying social services at Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Ali completed his Finnish military service, describing it as one of the few environments where he felt full equality. Everyone wore the same uniform and was judged by their effort alone. Yet after service, he noticed his Finnish-born roommate secured better jobs faster despite similar qualifications. Now chairing Somali Students of Finland, Ali warns that many immigrant-background students are considering leaving Finland for better prospects abroad.
The growing population of Finnish-born residents with foreign roots reflects a crucial shift in the country’s demographic landscape. But despite their numbers and education, many immigrant youth in Finland continue to face an invisible barrier that limits their access to jobs and schooling. Without targeted support and a genuine commitment to breaking down these obstacles, Finland risks losing the potential and talents of an entire generation.
