Record number of foreigners seek jobs in Finland

The need for foreign labour in Finland is being quickly filled by a growing number of foreigners seeking work-related resident permits.

By November this year, the Finnish Directorate of Immigration had received almost 14,000 applications from foreigners aiming to move to Finland and work there. The figure for last year was only 8,500 applications.

With almost 6,000 of this year’s applications being filed by foreigners outside the EU, a new record has been made in this area. Officials at the Directorate of Immigration predict around 6,500 applications from people living outside the EU by the end of this year.

The nearly 60 per cent rise in foreigners hoping to work in Finland reflects the belief that quality of life there is worth facing other obstacles, such as the language barrier and the icy winter weather. These numbers exclude foreigners seeking short-term work in Finland.