The summer job market in Finland has taken a noticeable hit in 2025. According to new figures from Duunitori, one of Finland’s largest job platforms, the number of summer job ads fell by 11 percent compared to 2024. In total, just 25,000 ads were posted between November and June. That number represents a drop of 42 percent compared to the summer of 2023.
The ongoing economic downturn continues to impact short-term employment across the country. While all job listings declined overall, summer-specific roles felt the weight especially hard.
Aino Salonen, communications director at Duunitori, expressed concern about the results. “It is unfortunate that economic difficulties have again reduced the number of summer jobs. For young people, summer work is often the first step into working life. Even though the decline in summer jobs was steep, the general drop in job ads was worse,” she said.
In the same period, Duunitori recorded a 24 percent drop in total job advertisements across all sectors. Despite that, public interest in summer positions reached a record high.
Summer job listings on the Duunitori website were viewed more than 15 million times from November to June. That is a 38 percent increase compared to the previous year. Salonen believes this reflects a growing gap between available jobs and the number of people who want them.
“There are always more applicants than openings, but the difference has grown even more obvious,” she said. “We are seeing older and more experienced professionals applying for summer roles because they cannot find permanent work.”
Duunitori’s latest survey shows each applicant applied for more than ten summer jobs on average.
“Looking for work is tiring for many people,” Salonen added. “Recruitment processes should be made simpler. Long forms, outdated CV requirements, and unnecessary cover letters only make things harder. But employers also feel the pressure. They must handle huge volumes of applicants and still give everyone a decent experience.”
Not every area was flooded with workers, however. “The labour market is not just one thing. Even during tough times, some industries, locations, and job types still struggle to find enough staff,” she said.
Top Sectors for Summer Jobs and Where the Declines Hit Hard
From November to June, these were the five most active sectors for summer job ads:
- Restaurant and tourism: 3,400 posts, down 12 percent
- Sales and retail: 2,900 posts, down 18 percent
- Social and care services: 2,100 posts, down 31 percent
- Construction: 2,000 posts, down 15 percent
- Industry and technology: 1,700 posts, down 8 percent
This ranking remained unchanged from the year before. The biggest fall came from the social and care sector, mostly due to funding cuts in regional welfare services. The smallest drop was seen in industry and technology.
Jobseekers were most drawn to customer service roles, sales positions, and jobs in the restaurant and tourism sector. Duunitori’s survey revealed that young people were especially realistic in their expectations, often aiming for roles they knew were actually available.
