How to choose a career: compare employment, pay and education

The labour market in autumn 2026

In August 2026 there were about 329 600 unemployed jobseekers, 6 % more than a year earlier, and 53 900 open vacancies. The trend unemployment rate was 10,1 %. The overall picture is therefore challenging, but there are big differences between occupations: in some there are more vacancies than applicants, in others many times more applicants.

Training often takes several years, so the current situation does not tell the whole story. Therefore also look at shortage occupations over the longer term.

Compare open vacancies and unemployed people

A good first indicator is the ratio of open vacancies to unemployed jobseekers. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment's job market statistics, in August 2026 there were 419 open vacancies and 266 unemployed jobseekers for general practitioners, i.e. more vacancies than applicants. For welders there were 1 492 vacancies and 2 410 unemployed, for practical nurses 2 310 and 11 410.

At the other end are occupations with many applicants. For software developers, i.e. application designers, there were 89 open vacancies and 4,049 unemployed applicants nationwide, and for sales assistants 2,332 vacancies and 16,703 unemployed. The figures can be found by occupation and region in Statistics Finland's StatFin database.

Shortage occupations in the Labour Barometer

The Labour Force Barometer compiles regional assessments of which occupations face shortages or surpluses. In autumn 2025 the worst shortages were of general practitioners, machinists, specialist physicians, welders and psychologists. In spring 2026 the shortage occupations also included, for example, nurses, practical nurses, application designers and early childhood education teachers.

Note that the barometer describes employers' recruitment difficulties, not that every applicant would find work. In the software sector recruitment can be difficult for experienced professionals even when there are many recent graduates applying. Shortage occupations also vary by region, so check the situation in your own region.

Pay: look at the median

According to Statistics Finland, the median total earnings of full-time employees in 2024 across all occupations were €3,615 per month. The differences between occupations are large. The figure includes supplements and overtime, so in shift work earnings can be clearly higher than base pay.

General practitioner: €8,067/month
Software developer: €5,020/month
Mechanical engineer: €4,702/month
Psychologist: €4,453/mo
Construction electrician: 3 703 €/month
Registered nurse: 3 587 €/month
Welder: 3 313 €/month
Practical nurse: 3 222 €/month
Cook: €2,698/month

Duration and route of the training

Many shortage occupations can be reached with a vocational qualification. You study to become a welder or machinist in the vocational qualification in mechanical and production engineering, a practical nurse in the vocational qualification in social and health care, and a building electrician in the vocational qualification in electrical and automation engineering. At a university of applied sciences the nurse's degree is 210 credits and the engineer's 240 credits. Doctors, psychologists and class teachers study at a university.

Count the duration of the education too. A short route into working life can be a better choice if you want to start earning soon, and a vocational qualification can later be continued at a university of applied sciences or university.

Read the statistics correctly

Figures for an individual month vary seasonally. In construction and tourism, for example, the number of vacancies differs between summer and winter, and in August 2026 Lapland had the third-highest number of vacancies among the regions. So compare several months and the same month in the previous year.

The job-placement statistics cover only vacancies notified to public employment services. According to Statistics Finland's employer survey, there were about 29,600 vacancies in the second quarter of 2026, and 33% of them were hard to fill. Both figures indicate the direction, but neither shows all jobs.

Make a decision and seek help

Put your options into a table: interest, jobs relative to applicants in your area, median pay, length of training and access to training. Read the occupation descriptions and the education selection criteria on Opintopolku. Regional career guidance services and school study counsellors help free of charge. Career Radar brings together occupations' pay, job market situation and education routes in one view.

Frequently asked questions

Which occupations have the most jobs in 2026?

According to the Labour Force Barometer, there are particular shortages of doctors, machinists, welders and psychologists, as well as in the care sector. In August 2026 there were more vacancies for general practitioners than unemployed applicants.

Is there work in the software sector?

In August 2026 there were 89 open vacancies for software developers nationwide and 4 049 unemployed applicants, so competition is tough. The median salary in 2024 was 5 020 €.

Where can I see the situation in my area?

Regional shortage occupations can be found in the Labour Barometer, and the numbers of unemployed people and open vacancies by occupation in StatFin.

How much does a practical nurse earn?

The median total earnings of a full-time practical nurse were €3,222 per month in 2024 (Statistics Finland). The figure includes supplements.

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.