Today, you can find employment in many ways

News

Society, culture and the labour market have changed a great deal in recent decades. Work is now organised in a different way than before. Information and services have become digitalised, which has had a significant impact on people's everyday lives. In addition, a culture that emphasises individuality affects working life.

Especially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, work became independent and close management became individualised. When they work alone for a long time, many people may become exhausted. The development of the independence of work has been going on for a long time, but it became stronger as a result of the pandemic.

Technology has developed rapidly in recent decades and has replaced human work, which has had a great impact on working life. The pandemic further accelerated digitalisation, which has increased the need for continuous on-the-job learning.

“Combi work” becomes more common

Full-time, career-long employment relationships are becoming increasingly rare. In other words, the employee is not necessarily dependent on one employer today. People sell their competence to different customers, and sometimes the sources of income may be diverse. People who employ themselves and sell their professional competence work as entrepreneurs and freelancers in the labour market.

Self-employed persons and employees are traditionally distinguished from each other. However, transitions between entrepreneurship and paid employment are more common than expected. In addition, paid work and entrepreneurship are also possible simultaneously. According to Sitra's (the Finnish Innovation Fund) glossary for the changing working life “Muuttuvan työelämän sanasto”, combining different jobs or “kombityö” (“combi work”) is a form of work in which a person simultaneously works in several different ways, such as a paid employment relationship, grant, entrepreneurship or working as a freelancer. As “combi work” becomes more common, income is often obtained from many different sources.

There are many entrepreneurs in Finland

Despite the changes, the most common form of employment in Finland is continuous full-time paid employment. 62 per cent of those aged 15 to 74 worked as employees in a full-time employment relationship valid until further notice in 2021.

However, entrepreneurship is a more common form of employment in Finland than in other Nordic countries. In 2021, 13.5 per cent of all employed persons in Finland were self-employed. Over the past ten years, the share of entrepreneurs has remained between 12 and 14 per cent in Finland. In EU countries, the share of entrepreneurs has decreased slightly over the past ten years. Norway and Denmark have the lowest number of entrepreneurs in the Nordic countries.

Find the right way to work for you

Although more than half of Finns still work in full-time permanent paid employment, finding a livelihood in several different ways has become more common. Changes in working life make it possible to take your own needs into account and form a career of your own.

Find a suitable way to work in one employment relationship or combine several different ways of working. Job Market Finland offers full-time and part-time jobs as well as fixed-term and indefinite employment relationships. Also familiarise yourself with the available places for entrepreneurs.

Vacancies

More information