People with foreign background found jobs most often in the industry of cleaning activities in 2013

According to Statistics Finland's employment statistics, there were 114,300 employed persons with foreign background in 2013. The number of employed persons with foreign background grew by a total of 32,000 from 2008 to 2013. Examining industries, the biggest growth concerns cleaning activities, up by 3,800 persons. The biggest decrease occurred in the manufacture of communication equipment, from which 1,300 jobs disappeared. By region, jobs of people with foreign background were focused in Uusimaa.

Industries where the number of employed persons with foreign background has grown most in 2008 to 2013

From 2008 to 2013, the number of employed persons with foreign background increased by 38,9 per cent, or by 32,000 persons. The number of employed persons with Finnish background declined by around 107,400 over the same period (-4.7%). In 2013, there were 2,187,400 employed persons with Finnish background and 114,300 with foreign background. The figures of the employment statistics include employed persons living permanently in the country, excluding those working temporarily here.

Cleaning, restaurant activities and construction employed persons with foreign background

In both 2008 and 2013, the most common industry for employed persons with foreign background was cleaning activities. In 2013, the industry had 9,700 employed persons with foreign background. This is 22.9 per cent of all employed persons in the industry. The biggest industries after cleaning services in 2013 were restaurants and mobile food service activities, construction of residential and non-residential buildings, and temporary employment agency activities.

Examined by industry, the number of employed persons with foreign background grew in 2008 to 2013 most in the industry of cleaning activities (3,800 jobs). The next biggest increase in the number of employed persons was in construction of residential and non-residential buildings, restaurants and mobile food service activities, and higher education. The largest fall in the number of jobs over the five years took place in the manufacture of communication equipment (-1,300 jobs).

The number of employed persons with Finnish background grew most in the industry of residential care activities for the elderly and disabled (9,400 jobs) in 2008 to 2013. After this, most new jobs were created in other social work services without accommodation, other human health activities, and activities auxiliary to financial services, except insurance and pension funding. The biggest number of jobs were lost in the manufacture of communication equipment (-13,600).

In both 2008 and 2013, the most common industry for people with Finnish background was hospital activities, which had 94,600 jobs in 2013. After this, the highest employing industries were other social work activities without accommodation, retail sale in non-specialised stores, and medical and dental practice activities.

People with foreign background work in Uusimaa

In 2013, the majority of employed persons with foreign background, 57.1 per cent, were working in Uusimaa. The share is considerably bigger than among people with Finnish background (32.6%). Examined by region, the number of employed persons with foreign background has also grown most in Uusimaa from 2008 (18,600 employed persons).

As in the whole country, the most common industry for persons with foreign background in Uusimaa was cleaning activities, where 44.6 per cent of the employed were of foreign background (6,600 employed persons). The next biggest industries for persons with foreign background were restaurants and mobile food service activities (4,500 employed persons), construction of residential and non-residential buildings (3,200), temporary employment agency activities (2,800), and other passenger land transport (2,300).

In 2013, 8.4 per cent of those working in Uusimaa were of foreign background. The share of those with foreign background among employed people was highest in Åland (12.6%) and lowest in Kainuu (2.0%). The share of people with foreign background among all employed persons was 5.0 per cent in the whole country, having been 3.5 per cent in 2008.

Share of employed persons with foreign background among all employed persons by region in 2008 and 2013, %

Source: Employment Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Aura Pasila 029 551 3576, tyossakaynti@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Updated 2.10.2015

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Employment [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-6825. Background information on unemployed persons 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 16.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tyokay/2013/03/tyokay_2013_03_2015-10-02_tie_001_en.html