Finland needs a new employment policy
TEXT TIIA KYYNÄRÄINEN AND HEIKKI JOKINEN
PHOTO ISTOCK
In April 2027, Finland will elect a new Parliament.
There is a need for a policy change, especially in respect to employment. The Orpo-Purra government promised it would improve employment for at least 100,000 people. This did not happen.
According to Statistics Finland, there were more than 2.7 million 15–74 -year olds employed in June 2023 when the PM Orpo government came into power. In February 2026, there were only some 2.5 million in employment, thus 200,000 less.
In February, the trend employment rate was 10.5 per cent. It is the highest figure in the EU. 139,800 people have been continuously unemployed for more than one year, the highest number in 20 years.
We can say that this is one of the major political failures in the political history of Finland.
The story the government is spinning on employment is falling apart, says Timo Nevaranta, the head of public affairs at the Industrial Union.
– The government promised that by making changes in the labour market and weakening earnings-related unemployment benefits and social security, this society will turn upward. Now, it seems that this ideology has been proven wrong.
– It did not come with 100,000 new jobs, as Orpo promised before the last elections, but 100,000 new poor. And what is most wretched, 31,000 of them are children.
Finland is taking out 14 billion euros more in loans, we have more than 100,000 new poor people, the unemployment rate is the highest in Europe, and at the same time, we must buy defence equipment and take care of an ageing population, Nevaranta says.
– We can say that this is one of the major political failures in the political history of Finland.
