World’s Happiest Country Finland Faces Workforce Shortage; Seeks IT Professionals From India

by Sanjana Shenoy
World’s Happiest Country Finland Faces Workforce Shortage; Seeks IT Professionals From India

Did you know that Finland has been crowned the happiest place in the world for the fourth year running (2021) in the annual World Happiness Report by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network? Now, if we think about it, isn’t it obvious that more and more people would want to travel to Finland and find their source of livelihood? Unfortunately, Finland is facing a workforce shortage and they seek IT professionals from India. Here’s everything to know.

Happiest Place In The World Faces Shortage Of Workforce

Finland is actively seeking more Indian and maritime talent. They are ready to double skilled immigrant uptake by 20,000-30,000 per year. The ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s annual World Happiness Report, understands that they need more working force to be able to contribute to their economy. Speaking about this matter, Saku Tihverainen from the agency Talented Solutions told AFP that, “It’s now widely acknowledged that we need a spectacular number of people to come to the country.” Explaining further, the recruiter said that workers are needed “to help cover the cost of the greying generation”.

Also Read: Finland Is Offering An Online Class On Happiness And You Must Take It

The Ageing Workforce Is The Reason Behind This

But why is this issue arising in Finland? The answer is weak population growth. The United Nations estimates that by 2030, the old-age dependency ratio will rise to 47.5 per cent. Currently, Finland has over 39.2 over the age of 65 to every 100 working-age people. This number is alarming considering it’s second only to Japan in the extent of its ageing population. In order to tackle this, the Finnish government has warned that the nation of 5.5 million needs to practically double immigration levels to 20,000-30,000 a year to maintain public services and plug a looming pensions deficit. Also, Finland continues to face the largest skilled worker shortage amongst member countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).

Picture Credits: Maija Astikainen/FT

Also Read: Finland Has Trees That Actually Freeze Due To The Cold Weather

Finland Seeks IT Professionals From India

With government support, Finland’s recruiters are now seeking to attract IT and maritime professionals from India, Russia and Southeast Asia, as well as health workers from Spain, and metalworkers from Slovakia. But on the other hand, several immigrants have left Finland due to their complex local language, cold climate, an ultra-high standard of living, and challenges in finding jobs for spouses, among others. This trend is also seen amongst the highly skilled working population as well. Also, many applicants have raised issues that Finnish employers do not seem to recognize international experience, expertise, and qualifications.  However, studies indicate that the local population are changing their mindsets. Certain Finnish start-ups are starting joint career websites and platforms to attract international talent to Helsinki. If you wish to visit Finland like a tourist, then here’s a European itinerary for you.