Labour market

The working-age population is divided into three: employees, i.e. employed persons; unemployed persons and economically inactive persons. The employed and the unemployed together form the economically active population, i.e. the labour force. An employed person is someone who worked during the reference period and was paid as a wage earner, entrepreneur or freelancer. An employed person is also someone who worked without direct payment in a family enterprise or own farm, or was temporarily absent from work. An unemployed person is someone who does not work anywhere, but who is actively seeking work and is available to start work immediately (within two weeks), if he or she found work. Active job search is any activity to find a job or start a business. The inactive population includes those who do not want to or cannot work, such as housewives, non-working students, retired persons, people with disabilities, etc.

Labour market statistics provide an overview of the labour market situation in Estonia, for example:

• the employment rate;
• the number of salaried employees and their occupations;
• how many people work part-time;
• how many people are unemployed in Estonia;
• the employment rate of the immigrant population;
• how many working-age people are economically inactive;
• educational attainment of the working-age population by economic activity and county.

Labour market statistics are required for planning municipal and state budgets, as well as for preparing national action plans.