Construction Industry Faces Worker Shortage Despite Job Seekers in Finland

The construction industry in Finland is currently facing challenges, with a significant number of job seekers and reports of bankruptcies surfacing. Despite this, there is a shortage of skilled workers on construction sites, particularly specialized professionals. Lauri Kinnunen, a regional representative for the Construction Union in North Karelia, emphasizes the need for specific trades such as reinforcement workers, form workers, bricklayers, plasterers, and bitumen specialists. In the infrastructure sector, there is demand for machine operators and foremen with specialized skills.

Economic fluctuations and seasonal changes impact the construction sector, with winters typically being quieter for professionals. The shortage of skilled workers is exacerbated by the retirement of large cohorts, as many specialized professionals fail to graduate from vocational education institutions. The required experience for expertise often spans decades, and the physically demanding nature of construction work leads to many transitioning to other careers or taking early retirement due to health issues. Kinnunen reveals that only about one-third of those in physically intensive roles, such as reinforcement and plastering, continue until retirement.

The influx of foreign workers is minimal, as the work requires adherence to Finnish standards and extensive experience. In Eastern Finland, public projects have provided employment opportunities during a challenging period that has lasted around a year and a half. Kinnunen anticipates that by next spring, delayed projects may finally commence.

Saku Lehtinen, an educational policy expert in the construction sector, notes weak signals of recovery but warns that a swift turnaround is unlikely. He identifies significant infrastructure projects, including bridges and railways, as areas suffering from a shortage of workers and specialized personnel. The construction sector is expected to witness a gradual recovery, with 2025 potentially marking a return to modest growth.