In the first quarter, the number of job vacancies decreased by 4.9% year on year

Sigrid Saagpakk, analyst at Statistics Estonia, stated that the total number of vacant and occupied posts in the first quarter was a little over 594,000. “The number of vacant posts was the highest in education (1,274) and in public administration and defence (1,254). The number of occupied posts, however, was the greatest in manufacturing (97,736),” she said. 

The analyst noted that, in the first quarter of 2025, vacant posts accounted for 1.5% of the total number of posts. In the first quarter of 2024, vacant positions accounted for 1.6%. In the first quarter of this year, in addition to education and public administration, high numbers of job vacancies were seen in wholesale and retail trade (1,247), manufacturing (874), and human health and social work activities (859).

The number of people leaving their job was the greatest in wholesale and retail trade

39,088 people were hired in the first quarter, which is over 650 more than in the first quarter of last year. 
“The number of people leaving their job at the initiative of the employer was 5,633 – down by 852 compared with the first quarter of 2024. These people represented 14.8% of all those who left their job, while in the first quarter of last year, 16.3% of all people who left their job did so at the initiative of their employer," Saagpakk noted. 

Looking at the overall number of people leaving their job at their own or the employer’s initiative in the first quarter of 2025, this figure was the highest in wholesale and retail trade where 6,006 persons left their job. 
The largest numbers of new hires were recorded in manufacturing (6,053) and in wholesale and retail trade (5,513). 
Labour flows are characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged employees and employees who left) which decreased by nearly 1.4% year on year.

According to the analyst, the majority of job vacancies in the first quarter were in Harju county (75.7% of all vacant posts), 66.5% of these in the city of Tallinn and 9.2% elsewhere in Harju county.
“The largest shares of occupied posts were found in Harju county (57.3% of all occupied posts) and Tartu county (11.2%), followed by Ida-Viru county (4.5%) and Pärnu county (3.8%),” Saagpakk stated. 

To estimate the number of occupied posts and labour turnover, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the employment register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. Data on job vacancies are collected by Statistics Estonia with the questionnaire "Wages and salaries and labour force".

Job vacancy – a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or about to become vacant, for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise/institution/organisation concerned, and which the employer intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time.

Number of job vacancies – the quarterly average calculated based on three months' data, as at the end of each month

Rate of job vacancies – the share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs

The quarterly average number of vacant and occupied posts is published as at the end of the month. The main representative of public interest for the statistical activity is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.

More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

See also the dedicated section on wages and salaries and labour costs.

When using Statistics Estonia’s data and graphs, please indicate the source.

For further information:

Heidi Kukk
Media Relations Manager
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484
press [at] stat.ee (press[at]stat[dot]ee)

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