A person going to the unemployment office in Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
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A growing number of highly educated individuals in Finland are facing significant employment challenges, with 1,400 PhD holders currently unemployed. Two-thirds of them are long-term unemployed, according to Finnish customs data and labour market studies.
The issue is particularly pronounced in fields such as humanities, arts, natural sciences, and engineering, where many fail to find work within a year of graduating.
While Finnish doctoral programs primarily train researchers, only a third of PhD graduates secure positions in academia. Companies and municipalities are the next largest employers, but the transition is not always smooth.
Employers often fail to fully utilise the transferable skills of PhD graduates, said Suvi Liikkanen, Career Services Director at the Union of Professionals in Natural, Environmental, and Forestry Sciences (Loimu). Many PhD holders excel in project management and analytical thinking, yet struggle to showcase their abilities to potential employers.
Meanwhile, Finland’s employment services have been criticised for their inability to effectively assist unemployed PhDs. A study by the Labour Institute for Economic Research (Labore) revealed that some PhD graduates were offered jobs far below their qualifications, such as cleaning parks or working as janitors.
Anna Idström, a Labore researcher, expressed hope that the transfer of employment services to municipalities might improve support for this group, especially in cities with large university populations like Helsinki.
Some experts and unions are questioning whether Finland is training more PhDs than the job market can absorb. Despite this, the government plans to fund universities to train 1,000 more PhDs by 2027, with a goal to strengthen private sector innovation.
Minister of Science and Culture Sari Multala defended the initiative, highlighting the untapped potential of doctoral expertise in business sectors. However, Liikkanen noted a contradiction in promoting more PhDs while many existing graduates remain unemployed.
Geography PhD graduate Elina Ahokangas, who specialised in groundwater, has been unemployed for a year despite extensive efforts to secure research funding and positions. Similarly, Kimmo Oksanen, a PhD in education, found himself laid off from his role as Head of Creative Team at an eLearning company.
Oksanen now works as a substitute preschool teacher to fill his time while continuing his job search.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
