Problems in the other EU Member States or in the USA would quickly be felt in Finland. The debate on increased imports of labour has become a daily one. Two separate studies reveal an alarmingly rapid increase in temporary and other irregular forms of employment alongside the growing economy and improved employment statistics. The situation five years ago was that out of more than one million members of SAK affiliated unions, only 14 per cent worked in temporary, part-time or other irregular forms of employment. These figures are based on data gathered one year ago from a sample of almost 10,000 rank and file members of SAK unions.
Temporary jobs are more common in the public than in the private sector.
More women than men have temporary jobs. The industries with the highest proportions of temporary employees are the social and health services and the construction industry. Employees with higher education are more likely to be in temporary employment. One clear indicator of the enthusiasm of employers for hiring temporary staff is that such employees have, on average, had such a status for as long as three years. The ministry, however, concludes that the upward trend in irregular forms of employment came to an end last year.