Analytics, Estonia, Financial Services, Markets and Companies, Wages

The biggest decrease was observed in the wage expectation of unemployed respondents in the survey -- from 1,229 to 1,000 euros -- which the Salary Information Agency attributed to deterioration in job opportunities in the present labor market situation.

Despite the complicated situation in the labor market, 54% of the respondents said that their ability to cope is currently average. 33% said that they are coping well or very well, and 13% said their situation is poor or very poor. Compared with other groups, the latter segment included a larger share of people whose wages had been reduced over the past few months . 

The share of respondents who said that they are coping either well or very well had increased from 25% in spring 2019 to 33% this year.

The participants in the survey who were unemployed in May are struggling, however, as 44% of the segment said that their ability to cope is either poor or very poor.

"The economic crisis caused by the coronavirus has likely affected workers' expectations for their quality of life as well as their remuneration. At times of uncertainty, people try to hold on to their job and their wage requests are more modest," Kadri Seeder, head of the Salary Information Agency, said.

Seeder noted that the coping of unemployed people in the near future raises concerns as unemployment is highest among low-paid workers formerly employed in the service sector. "When the support measures and benefits are reduced or ended entirely, the coping of these people may severely deteriorate," she said.

The Salary Information Agency and CVKeskus.ee are conducing a survey of workers and job seekers in May with the purpose of determining changes in basic salaries and workers' mood in the current labor market situation. Respondents in the survey as of May 25 numbered 6,516.