Over 6,000 persons left their job as a result of the employer's decision during that time period, the agency says.

Argo Tarkiainen, analyst at Statistics Estonia, said that 38 percent of all job vacancies were to be found in the public sector. "The rate of job vacancies was the highest in public administration and defense and in accommodation and food service activities, while it was at its lowest in agriculture and in construction."

The total number of vacant and occupied posts stood at nearly 620,000 in Q1 2023, whereas the largest share of the posts were in manufacturing, trade, and education. Job vacancies represented 1.9 percent of the total.

The number of job vacancies was the highest in public administration and defense (1,759), human health and social work activities (1,427), and manufacturing (1,372).

The majority of vacancies were in Harju County (72 percent), including Tallinn (63 percent), followed by Tartu County (8.6 percent) and Ida-Viru county (5.5 percent).

The rate of job vacancies was highest in Ida-Viru and Valga counties, and lowest in Põlva and Hiiu counties, the agency says.

42,295 people were hired and 42,773 persons left their job in Q1 2023.

Labor flows are characterized by labor turnover, which fell by 10 percent on year to Q1 2023.

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 construction.

6,280 employees left their job at the initiative of the employer, which accounted for 15 percent of all the employees who left work.

"The number of employees leaving at the initiative of the employer was 35 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2022 but it has fallen by 7 percent compared with the fourth quarter of last year," Tarkiainen added.

Statistics Estonia uses the data from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) in compiling its stats, which it does on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

More detailed information is here and here.

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