Analytics, Estonia, Statistics, Tourism

Compared to the 1st quarter of 2019 as well as to the 2nd quarter of 2018, the number of job vacancies decreased by 2%. The total number of vacant and occupied posts was 611,180, which is nearly 0.5% more compared to the previous quarter. The economic activities of manufacturing (18%), wholesale and retail trade (15%) and education (10%) still hold the largest shares in the total number of posts. Manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade are also the biggest employers in Estonia – in the 2nd quarter of 2019, there were respectively 1,585 and 2,151 job vacancies in these activities. These were followed by public administration and defence with 1,145 and education with 1,134 vacant posts.

The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of posts, was 1.8% in the 2nd quarter of 2019, which is 0.1 percentage points lower than in the 2nd quarter of 2018. The rate of job vacancies was highest in information and communication (3.0%) and in public administration and defence (2.9%), but lowest in mining and quarrying (0.4%) and real estate activities (0.2%).

Vacant posts in the public sector accounted for 30% of all job vacancies. The rate of job vacancies was highest in enterprises owned by foreign private entities (2.4%). In state and municipal institutions and enterprises, the rate was 2.2% and, in enterprises owned by Estonian private entities, 1.5%.

Most of the vacant posts were in Harju county (77%), including Tallinn (64%), followed by Tartu county (8%) and Pärnu and Ida-Viru counties (3% each). The rate of job vacancies was highest in Harju (2.4%) and Saare (1.8%) counties and lowest in Põlva county (0.3%). 

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged and left employees), which amounted to nearly 116,000 in the 2nd quarter of 2019. Labour turnover increased by 22% on the previous quarter and 2% on the same period of the previous year. Both the number of employees hired and the number of employees who left their job remained highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and construction. 10% of all the employees who left their job left on the employer’s initiative.