Firms still value foreign talent, but international hiring declines

By admin On Sep 9, 2025

Every second company in Finland now employs someone with a foreign background. Photo: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva

Finnish businesses continue to express confidence in hiring international professionals, but the number of foreign recruitments has dropped, according to a new survey by the Finland Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber’s talent survey, conducted between 18 and 22 August, received responses from 1,035 member companies across multiple sectors. Of the firms that have hired international staff, 73 percent described their experience as positive. Only 4.5 percent reported a negative experience.

Despite this, only 28 percent of the respondents said they had hired or leased a foreign professional within the past five years. A year ago, the figure stood at 37 percent.

The most notable decline was seen in the retail sector, where international recruitment dropped from 27 percent to 15.5 percent year-on-year. In manufacturing, 40 percent of companies reported hiring international workers, a figure that has remained stable.

“Every second company in Finland now employs someone with a foreign background, and the feedback is mostly positive. Many firms describe these workers as indispensable,” said Suvi Pulkkinen, Senior Advisor on Skills and Immigration at the Finland Chamber of Commerce.

Pulkkinen pointed to two key reasons behind the decline in international recruitment: Finland’s weak economic situation and what she called a hardening societal atmosphere around immigration.

“When the public debate around immigration turns negative, attention shifts to problems instead of opportunities,” she said.

The survey also found that language requirements remain a key barrier. Over half of the companies surveyed (55 percent) said they had not hired foreign professionals because the roles required native-level Finnish skills.

To address this, Pulkkinen proposed a state-backed voucher system for language education. “The voucher would allow companies to purchase Finnish or Swedish lessons for their employees, encouraging more firms to consider hiring those whose language skills are still developing,” she said.

The survey also assessed company views on the government’s efforts to secure skilled labour. The current administration received an average score of 6.5 out of 10, slightly down from 6.7 last year.

Companies were most satisfied with labour market reforms and employment incentives. The lowest satisfaction was recorded in areas related to attracting and integrating foreign talent, with 60 percent of respondents expressing dissatisfaction.

Pulkkinen said Finland should adopt a points-based immigration system similar to Canada’s. “We need a model that evaluates candidates based on employment status, education, language ability, and alignment with economic needs. Those scoring highest could receive permanent residence for the whole family,” she said.

She added that long-term thinking is required. “We don’t just need temporary workers. We need new Finns who want to contribute to Finnish society and business.”

The survey was distributed by email and companies were allowed one response per member organisation.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi