In the 3rd quarter, the number of job vacancies reached a record high of 11,000

The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs, was 2.0% in the 3rd quarter of 2016, being 0.3 percentage points higher than in the 2nd quarter of 2016 and 0.4 percentage points higher than in the 3rd quarter of 2015.

In the 3rd quarter, the rate of job vacancies was the highest in administrative and support service activities (4.3%), other service activities (3.1%), information and communication (3.0%) and financial and insurance activities (3.0%). The rate of job vacancies was the lowest in real estate activities, mining and quarrying, construction, and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

The total number of posts and vacant posts continued to be the highest in manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade. Both the total number of posts and the number of vacant posts were the lowest in water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities, in mining and quarrying and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply.

Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2015, the number of job vacancies grew the most in administrative and support service activities. An above-average year-over-year increase was recorded also in education, accommodation and food service activities and manufacturing. Compared to the period a year ago, the number of job vacancies fell the most in professional, scientific and technical activities.

More than a half of the vacant posts were available in Harju County (68%) (including 59% in Tallinn), followed by Tartu County (9%) and Ida-Viru County (6%). The rate of job vacancies was the highest in Harju County and the lowest in Saare and Viljandi counties.

The private sector accounted for around 7,800 job vacancies (70%). In the 3rd quarter of 2016, the rate of job vacancies continued to be the highest in foreign private-sector institutions (2.6%) and state organisations (2.4%). The rate of job vacancies was the lowest in Estonian private sector organisations.

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged employees and those who have left), which amounted to 94,000 in the 2nd quarter of 2016, meaning there was a 29% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 22% increase compared to the 2nd quarter of 2015. Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2015, the largest increase in labour turnover occurred in professional, scientific and technical activities and in agriculture, forestry and fishing. In the 2nd quarter, both the number of employees hired and the number of employees who left their job were the highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and accommodation and food service activities.

The data are based on the statistical activity “Job vacancies and labour turnover”, conducted by Statistics Estonia since 2005. In 2016, the sample includes 12,603 enterprises, institutions and organisations; the data of randomly selected units are imputed to the total population separately in each stratum. As of the 2nd quarter of 2016, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the Employment Register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board to pre-fill the survey questionnaires. 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.

The number of job vacancies is the total number of job vacancies on the 15th day of the second month of a quarter. A job vacancy is a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or becomes vacant when an employee leaves, and for which the employer is actively trying to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise, institution or organisation concerned.