The number of job vacancies at the level of previous quarter

The economic activities of manufacturing (18%), wholesale and retail trade (15%) and education (10%) continued to have the largest shares in the total number of posts (vacant and occupied). Manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade are the biggest employers also in terms of the highest number of job vacancies. In the 1st quarter of 2018, by the number of job vacancies, these economic activities were followed by public administration and defence.

From 2018, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the employment register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board to estimate the number of occupied posts and labour turnover – as a result, the total number of posts increased by 8% compared to the previous quarter, amounting to 596,000 in the 1st quarter of 2018.

The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of posts was 1.8% in the 1st quarter of 2018, which is 0.1 percentage points lower than in the 4th quarter of 2017 and 0.2 percentage points lower than in the 1st quarter of 2017.

In the 1st quarter, the rate of job vacancies was the highest in public administration and defence (2.9%) and in financial and insurance activities (2.8%). The rate of job vacancies was the lowest in mining and quarrying (0.2%) and in real estate activities (0.4%).

Most of the vacant posts were available in Harju county (70%), including Tallinn (60%), followed by Tartu county (9%) and Ida-Viru county (6%). The rate of job vacancies was the highest in Jõgeva (2.3%) and Harju (2.1%) counties and the lowest in Hiiu (0.5%) county.

In the 1st quarter, nearly 30% of the vacant posts were in the public sector. The rate of job vacancies was the highest in state institutions an enterprises (2.1%) and in enterprises owned by foreign private entities (2.1%). The rate of job vacancies in municipal institutions an enterprises was 2.0% and in enterprises owned by Estonian private entities 1.5%.

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged employees and those who have left), which amounted to approximately 91,000 in the 1st quarter of 2018, denoting a 9% decrease compared to the previous quarter and a 16% increase compared to the 1st quarter of 2017. Compared to the 4th quarter of 2017, the largest decrease in labour turnover occurred in mining and quarrying and real estate activities and the largest increase in public administration and defence. In the 1st quarter of 2018, 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 construction.

Statistics Estonia conducts the vacant and occupied posts and labour turnover survey since 2005. From 2018, data about job vacancies are collected with the new questionnaire “Wages and salaries and labour force”. In 2018, the sample includes 8,350 enterprises, institutions and organisations, and non-profit organisations with less than 50 employees were included in the population.

From 2018, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the employment register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board to estimate the number of occupied posts and labour turnover.

Until 2018, the number of vacant and occupied posts were published as on the 15th day of the second month of a quarter. Since 2018, the quarterly average number of job vacancies and occupied posts is published as at the end of the month. The number of job vacancies is the quarterly average number of job vacancies as at the end of the month. 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.

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.

From 2018, data by county are published according to the new administrative division.