Work, wages and livelihood
Finland in Figures is an information package about Finland and Finns.
On this page
- Population aged 15 to 74 by activity
- Employment rate, %
- Employed persons aged 15 to 74 by industry
- Employees aged 15 to 74 by type of employment relationship
- Unemployed, aged 15 to 74 years of age
- Unemployment rate
- Index of wage and salary earnings, average annual changes
- Index of wage and salary earnings by employer sector
- Total earnings by employer sector
- Total earnings by level of education and age
- Total earnings by occupation
- Income and taxes in state taxation
- At-risk-of-poverty
- Financial assets of households
- Households' withdrawals of new housing loans
- Household consumption expenditure
- Commuting
Population aged 15 to 74 by activity
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Population aged 15 to 74, thousand | 4 128 | 4 133 | 4 123 | 4 120 |
Labour force | 2 717 | 2 704 | 2 766 | 2 809 |
Employed | 2 533 | 2 495 | 2 555 | 2 619 |
Unemployed | 184 | 209 | 212 | 190 |
Inactive population | 1 411 | 1 429 | 1 357 | 1 310 |
Labour force rate, % | 65,8 | 65,4 | 67,1 | 68,2 |
Unemployment rate, % | 6,8 | 7,7 | 7,7 | 6,8 |
Males | 7,3 | 8,1 | 8,2 | 7,1 |
Females | 6,2 | 7,4 | 7,1 | 6,4 |
Employed by type of employment relationship, thousand | ||||
Full-time work | 2 091 | 2 078 | 2 073 | 2 108 |
Part-time work | 440 | 415 | 473 | 488 |
Employed by employer sector, thousand | ||||
Private 1) | 1 885 | 1 866 | 1 914 | 1 957 |
Local government 2) | 513 | 476 | 475 | 483 |
Central government 3) | 131 | 146 | 148 | 159 |
Employed by status in employment, thousand | ||||
Employees | 2 185 | 2 151 | 2 193 | 2 265 |
Self-employed persons and unpaid family workers | 347 | 343 | 361 | 354 |
Annual hours actually worked per employee, hours/year | ||||
Total | 1 590 | 1 572 | 1 557 | 1 536 |
Private sector 1) | 1 612 | 1 583 | 1 570 | 1 557 |
Public sector 2) 3) | 1 537 | 1 546 | 1 526 | 1 479 |
1) The private sector comprises those whose employer is a company (including state majority-owned or municipality-owned companies), a private person, an enterprise, a foundation, a cooperative or an association, and those who are self-employed or own-account workers. Non-profit institutions, such as the church and parishes, are also included in the private sector.
2) Municipalities and joint municipal authorities comprise the municipal administration, the municipal school system, as well as the unincorporated service institutions and establishments of municipalities and joint municipal authorities, such as health centres, hospitals, day-care centres and unincorporated enterprises of municipalities and joint municipal authorities.
3) The central government sector includes state administration, universities, the Social Insurance Institution, unincorporated state enterprises and social security funds.
Employment rate, %

Employed persons aged 15 to 74 by industry
Industry TOL 2008 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Thousand persons | ||||
Agriculture, forestry and fishing; mining and quarrying | 106 | 100 | 107 | 102 |
Manufacturing; electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning and water supply; sewerage and waste management | 349 | 357 | 351 | 366 |
Construction | 196 | 194 | 189 | 184 |
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 287 | 272 | 291 | 290 |
Transportation and storage | 148 | 139 | 135 | 136 |
Accommodation and food service activities | 103 | 83 | 86 | 100 |
Information and communication | 117 | 122 | 126 | 134 |
Financial, insurance and real estate activities | 73 | 76 | 74 | 77 |
Professional, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support service activities | 295 | 304 | 315 | 333 |
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 106 | 111 | 117 | 122 |
Education | 176 | 177 | 181 | 184 |
Human health and social work activities | 413 | 402 | 410 | 415 |
Arts, entertainment and recreation; other service activities | 157 | 150 | 157 | 157 |
Industry unknown | 7 | 8 | 16 | 19 |
Total | 2 533 | 2 495 | 2 555 | 2 619 |
Employees aged 15 to 74 by type of employment relationship and gender
Year | Employees | Permanent full-time work | Fixed-term work | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Males | Females | Males | Females | Males | Females | |
Thousand persons | % of employees | |||||
2018 |
1 076 |
1 094 | 86,5 | 80,5 | 13,5 | 19,5 |
2019 | 1 085 | 1 100 | 86,9 | 81,4 | 13,1 | 18,6 |
2020 | 1 069 | 1 082 | 87,5 | 82,5 | 12,5 | 17,5 |
2021 | 1 085 | 1 109 | 86,0 | 80,7 | 14,0 | 19,3 |
2022 | 1 114 | 1 151 | 85,2 | 80,4 | 14,8 | 19,6 |
Unemployed, aged 15 to 74 years of age

Unemployment rate
Year | Total | Males | Females | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aged 15 to 74 | Aged 15 to 24 | |||
% | % | % | % | |
2010 | 8,6 | 9,4 | 7,7 | 22,0 |
2011 | 8,0 | 8,7 | 7,2 | 20,3 |
2012 | 7,9 | 8,6 | 7,1 | 19,5 |
2013 | 8,3 | 9,1 | 7,5 | 20,6 |
2014 | 8,7 | 9,6 | 7,8 | 20,5 |
2015 | 9,4 | 10,2 | 8,6 | 22,5 |
2016 | 8,9 | 9,4 | 8,4 | 20,5 |
2017 | 8,7 | 9,1 | 8,3 | 20,0 |
2018 | 7,5 | 7,7 | 7,2 | 17,3 |
2019 | 6,8 | 7,3 | 6,2 | 17,7 |
2020 | 7,7 | 8,1 | 7,4 | 21,0 |
2021 | 7,7 | 8,2 | 7,1 | 17,1 |
2022 | 6,8 | 7,1 | 6,4 | 14,2 |
Index of wage and salary earnings, average annual changes

Source: Statistics Finland, index of wage and salary earnings
Updated: 3.3.2023
Index of wage and salary earnings by employer sector
Source: Statistics Finland, index of wage and salary earnings
Updated: 3.3.2023
Total earnings by employer sector, 2021
Employer sector | Median of total earnings, €/month | Full-time employees | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Men | Women | ||
Private sector | 3 400 | 3 660 | 3 061 | 1 016 984 |
Local government | 3 022 | 3 408 | 2 959 | 365 399 |
Central government | 3 947 | 4 261 | 3 535 | 70 617 |
Total | 3 315 | 3 664 | 3 034 | 1 453 000 |
Total earnings by level of education and age, 2021
Full-time employees

Total earnings by occupation, 2021
Category of occupation | Median of total earnings, €/month | Full-time employees | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Men | Women | ||
Managers | 6 963 | 7 519 | 5 947 | 53 808 |
Managing directors and chief executives | 11 000 | 11 727 | 8 928 | 2 706 |
Professionals | 4 246 | 4 626 | 3 956 | 414 269
|
Medical doctors | 7 647 | 7 988 | 7 452 | 12 709 |
Primary school and early childhood teachers | 3 149 | 3 742 | 3 080 | 42 678 |
Technicians and associate professionals | 3 359 | 3 837 | 3 102 | 336 905 |
Nursing and midwifery associate professionals | 3 192 | 3 487 | 3 160 | 55 441 |
Sales and purchasing agents and brokers | 4 126 | 4 493 | 3 730 | 41 769 |
Clerical support workers | 2 826 | 2 958 | 2 794 | 90 363 |
Numerical clerks | 2 889 | 2 961 | 2 882 | 16 337 |
Service and sales workers | 2 577 | 2 779 | 2 519 | 224 978 |
Shop salespersons | 2 614 | 2 894 | 2 500 | 49 250 |
Child care workers and teachers' aides | 2 313 | 2 238 | 2 317 | 35 025 |
Personal care workers in health services | 2 769 | 2 829 | 2 763 | 72 307 |
Craft and related trades workers | 3 155 | 3 200 | 2 738 | 114 195 |
Plant and machine operators, and assemblers | 3 145 | 3 245 | 2 740 | 110 716 |
Heavy truck and bus drivers | 3 166 | 3 179 | 2 955 | 27 709 |
Cleaners and helpers | 2 132 | 2 098 | 2 135 | 38 258 |
Income and taxes in state taxation, 2021
Individual taxpayers and death estates
Income bracket, € | Income recipients, thousand | Income subject to taxation, € million | Taxes och charges, € million |
---|---|---|---|
– 9 999 | 1 351 | 12 197 | 851 |
10 000–19 999 | 875 | 16 942 | 2 307 |
20 000–29 999 | 877 | 26 122 | 4 149 |
30 000–39 999 | 696 | 27 778 | 5 459 |
40 000–49 999 | 403 | 20 303 | 4 750 |
50 000–59 999 | 217 | 13 310 | 3 479 |
60 000–69 999 | 122 | 8 790 | 2 475 |
70 000–79 999 | 73 | 6 052 | 1 794 |
80 000–89 999 | 46 | 4 254 | 1 317 |
90 000–99 999 | 30 | 3 105 | 1 005 |
100 000–149 999 | 59 | 7 687 | 2 672 |
150 000– | 34 | 12 801 | 4 719 |
Total | 4 782 | 159 341 | 34 978 |
At-risk-of-poverty
Persons at-risk-of-poverty are those whose household’s disposable monetary income per consumption unit is below 60% of the median income of all households
1) Long-term low-income earners are those who have belonged to low-income households in two years within the three previous years.
Source: Statistics Finland, income distribution statistics
Updated: 28.2.2023
Financial assets of households

Households' withdrawals of new housing loans
New housing loans withdrawn from Finnish financial institutions

Household consumption expenditure
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2021* | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | |||||
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels | 18,6 | 18,3 | 24,5 | 25,8 | 30,0 |
Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 21,3 | 16,3 | 12,6 | 12,1 | 12,2 |
Transport | 14,4 | 14,5 | 13,2 | 12,3 | 10,8 |
Recreation and culture | 10,2 | 11,2 | 11,3 | 11,9 | 9,1 |
Restaurants and hotels | 6,4 | 7,7 | 6,4 | 6,3 | 5,3 |
Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance | 6,1 | 5,4 | 4,8 | 5,3 | 5,1 |
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics | 6,3 | 6,6 | 5,8 | 5,1 | 5,1 |
Health | 2,1 | 2,9 | 3,8 | 4,4 | 5,1 |
Clothing and footwear | 6,1 | 5,6 | 4,6 | 4,8 | 3,6 |
Communication | 1,1 | 1,4 | 3,1 | 2,5 | 2,4 |
Education | 0,2 | 0,3 | 0,5 | 0,4 | 0,4 |
Miscellaneous goods and services | 7,2 | 9,8 | 9,4 | 9,1 | 10,9 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
* preliminary data
Commuting
Year | Commuters to the area | Persons working in their municipality of residence | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | % | Total | % | |
1990 | 509 861 | 21,9 | 1 822 421 | 78,1 |
2000 | 610 938 | 27,4 | 1 617 619 | 72,6 |
2010 | 751 778 | 32,3 | 1 573 901 | 67,7 |
2011 | 771 068 | 32,7 | 1 583 354 | 67,3 |
2012 | 769 825 | 32,9 | 1 570 079 | 67,1 |
2013 | 760 460 | 33,0 | 1 541 291 | 67,0 |
2014 | 756 159 | 33,3 | 1 517 917 | 66,7 |
2015 | 758 240 | 33,6 | 1 498 219 | 66,4 |
2016 | 775 239 | 34,1 | 1 500 440 | 65,9 |
2017 | 805 269 | 34,6 | 1 522 461 | 65,4 |
2018 | 825 287 | 34,8 | 1 548 381 | 65,2 |
2019 | 825 109 | 34,8 | 1 548 417 | 65,2 |
2020 | 801 967 | 35,1 | 1 482 706 | 64,9 |
2021 | 847 509 | 35,7 | 1 529 617 | 64,3 |
Regional division as on 1 January 2023
Main topic: Work, Wages and Livelihood
More statistical figures in the StatFin database
Finland in Figures only includes the key figures on Finland and Finns. You can find more figures on various sectors of society in the easy-to-use StatFin database.
The database also provides regional data, such as the population of municipalities.
Last updated 24 Nov 2023