Analysis of the labour market status of men who have completed conscript service

Analysis of the labour market status of men who have completed conscript service

Statistics Estonia was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to study the employment patterns of men who have completed conscript service. The aim was to compare the labour market positions of men who have and men who have not completed conscript service. Do those who have been conscripts have higher wages or lower wages when they join the labour market after conscript service? What about men who served as conscripts in the Cyber Command?

The analysis focused on men aged 28­–34 who completed conscript service in the period 2006–2021 and compared them with men who were the same age but had not completed conscript service. The population analysed comprised Estonian residents whose main activity was not being a student and who had not been declared disabled or incapacitated for work.

Full report (in Estonian)

Interesting facts

• Men who have completed conscript service have a slightly higher level of education than men who have not.
• The share of unemployed or inactive persons is lower among those who have completed conscript service, compared to the group who have not been conscripts.
• The completion of conscript service correlates with better wages, especially for men with a lower social status (educational attainment, occupation).
• Men who served in the Cyber Command have higher average wages than men who were conscripts in other military units and men who never completed conscript service.
• When comparing men who have completed conscript service and men who have not, the difference in wages is more marked after age 30 and not as significant for younger men. For example, among 34-year-old men, average wages are already nearly 200 euros higher for those who have completed conscript service.

Read the news release (in Estonian).

Commissioned by:

Ministry of Defence

Data sources: 

Various registers

Author: 

Kadri Rootalu