In the Q4 of 2022, there were 11,289 job vacancies in the enterprises, institutions and organisations of Estonia; 1.7% more than in the same quarter of 2021

Argo Tarkiainen, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that the number of vacant posts in the fourth quarter of 2022 was bigger than in the same quarter the year before, but the growth has slowed down. “In the third quarter of 2022, there were 15% more vacant posts than in the third quarter of 2021. But in the fourth quarter of 2022, the year-on-year increase was modest at 1.7%,” he explained.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the total number of vacant and occupied posts was 630,825. The largest share of these posts were in manufacturing, trade, and education. The number of job vacancies was the highest in wholesale and retail trade (1,897), education (1,599), and public administration and defence (1,493).

38% of all job vacancies were in the public sector. “The rate of job vacancies was the highest in public administration and defence and in financial and insurance activities, and the lowest in agriculture and in transportation and storage,” said Tarkiainen.

Most of the vacant posts were in Harju county (81.7%), including Tallinn city (74.1%), followed by Tartu county (4.9%) and Ida-Viru county (3.4%). The rate of job vacancies was the highest in Harju and Viljandi counties and the lowest in Hiiu and Valga counties.

In the fourth quarter, 40,272 persons were hired and 46,280 persons left their job. Labour flows are characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged employees and employees who left) which fell by 4% compared with the fourth quarter of 2021. “The number of new hires and the number of employees who left their job were both the highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and administrative and support service activities. 6,734 employees left their job at the initiative of the employer, which accounted for 15% of all the employees who left work,” added Tarkiainen.