The number of job vacancies remains over 10,000

Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2019 and 4th quarter of 2018, the number of job vacancies decreased by 13% and 1%, respectively.

The total number of vacant and occupied posts was 600,314. The economic activities of manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade and education continue to hold the largest shares in the total number of posts. Wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and public administration and defence are the biggest employers in Estonia – there were respectively 2,049, 1,257 and 1,120 job vacancies in these activities. These were followed by education with 934 vacant posts.

The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of posts, was 1.7%. The rate of job vacancies was highest in information and communication and in public administration and defence (2.9% each), and lowest in mining and quarrying and real estate activities (0.2% each). Vacant posts in the public sector accounted for 30% of all job vacancies.

Most of the vacant posts were in Harju county (75%), including Tallinn (62%), followed by Tartu county (10.2%) and Ida-Viru county (2.4%). The rate of job vacancies was highest in Harju (2.2%) and Valga (1.8%) counties and lowest in Hiiu (0.1%) and Järva (0.4%) counties. 

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged and left employees), which amounted to 118,000 – an increase of 4% compared to the 4th quarter of 2018. Both the number of employees hired and the number of employees who left their job remained highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and construction. 9% of all the employees who left their job left on the employer’s initiative.

Statistics Estonia has conducted the vacant and occupied posts and labour turnover survey since 2005. In 2019, the sample included 8,300 enterprises, institutions and organisations, and non-profit organisations and foundations with less than 50 employees were also included in the population.

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.

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 seeking a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise, institution or organisation concerned.

Statistics Estonia performs the statistical activity for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.