During the fourth quarter of 2022, there were 11,289 job openings in Estonian businesses, institutes and organizations, Statistics Estonia reported, which is a 1.7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2021. Fewer than 7,000 people left their jobs on their own initiative.

"In the third quarter of 2022, there were 15 percent more vacant posts than in the third quarter of 2021, but in the fourth quarter of 2022, the year-on-year increase was modest at 1.7 percent," Tarkiainen explained.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the total number of vacant and occupied posts was 630,825.

The majority of these positions were found in manufacturing, commerce, and education. The wholesale and retail trade industry had the most job opportunities with 1,897, followed by the education sector with 1,599 and the public administration and defense sectors with 1,493 positions available.

38 percent of all job vacancies were in the public sector.

"The rate of job vacancies was the highest in public administration and defense and in financial and insurance activities, and the lowest in agriculture and in transportation and storage," Tarkiainen said.

81.7 percent of vacant posts were in Harju county, including 74.1 percent in Tallinn city, followed by Tartu county with 4.9 percent and Ida-Viru county with 3.4 percent. The vacancy rate was highest in Harju and Viljandi counties and lowest in Hiiu and Valga counties.

In the fourth quarter 40,272 persons were hired and 46,280 persons left their jobs.

Labor flows are characterized by labor turnover (the total number of engaged employees and employees who left) which fell by 4 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2021.

"The number of new hires and the number of employees who left their job were both the highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, and administrative and support service activities. 6,734 employees left their job at the initiative of the employer, which accounted for 15 percent of all the employees who left work," Tarkiainen added.

To estimate the number of occupied posts and labor turnover, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the employment register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. The quarterly average number of job vacancies and occupied posts is published as at the end of the month.

The main representative of public interest for the statistical activity is the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting the statistical activity.

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