Fourth quarter of 2016 saw nearly 9,000 job vacancies
According to recent press release from Statistics Estonia, there were nearly 9,000 job vacancies in Estonian businesses, institutions and organizations in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Compared to the third quarter, when the number of job vacancies had reached a 7-year high, the number of job vacancies had decreased by 18 percent in the fourth quarter. On year, however, the number of job vacancies had increased by 37 percent.
The share of vacant and occupied posts in the total number of posts remained highest in manufacturing (19 percent), wholesale and retail traid (16 percent) and in education (10 percent).
The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs, was 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, a 0.3 decrease compared to the previous quarter and a 0.4 percent increase year over year.
In the fourth quarter, the rate of job vacancies was highest in other service activities (4 percent), accommodation and food service activities (3.7 percent), information and communication (3.3 percent) and administrative and support service activities (3 percent). The rate of job vacancies was lowest in mining and quarrying (0.4 percent), construction (0.5 percent) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (0.7 percent).
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2015, the rate of job vacancies increased the most in other service activities and accommodation and food service activities. The rate of job vacancies decreased the most in financial and insurance activities.
Most of the vacant posts were in Harju County (72 percent), including Tallinn (63 percent), followed by Tartu County (8 percent) and Ida-Viru County (5 percent). The rate of job vacancies was highest in Harju County and lowest in Saare, Lääne-Viru and Viljandi Counties.
Three quarters of of the vacant posts were in the private sector and every fourth vacant post was in the public sector. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the rate of job vacancies continued to be highest in foreign private-sector businesses (2.2 percent) and state organizations (2.1 percent). The rate of job vacancies was lowest in local government organizations (1 percent).
Editor: Aili Vahtla