The number of job vacancies in the fourth quarter of 2018 remained steady on year, but had decreased by 8% compared to the previous quarter. In 2018, there were approximately 10,575 job vacancies in the first quarter, 11,430 in the second quarter, and 11,440 in the third quarter.

The number of posts, including both vacant and occupied, totalled 597,500 in the fourth quarter of 2018, down 0.5% compared to the previous quarter.

The economic activities of manufacturing (18%), wholesale and retail trade (15%) and education (10%) continued to account for the largest shares in the total number of posts. The manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade sectors are the biggest employers in Estonia — in the fourth quarter of 2018, there were respectively 1,747 and 1,756 job vacancies in these activities — followed by public administration and defence with 928 vacant posts.

The rate of job vacancies, ie the share of job vacancies in the total number of posts, was 1.8% in the fourth quarter of 2018, which is 0.1 percentage points lower than in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the fourth quarter, the rate of job vacancies was highest in information and communication (3.0%) and public administration and defence (2.4%) and lowest in real estate activities (0.5%) and in mining and quarrying (0.2%).

In the fourth quarter, 29% of the vacant posts were in the public sector. The rate of job vacancies was highest in enterprises owned by foreign private entities (2.2%) and in municipal institutions and enterprises (2.1%). The rate of job vacancies was 1.8% in state institutions and enterprises and 1.5% in enterprises owned by Estonian private entities.

The majority of vacant posts were available in Harju County (72%), including Tallinn (60%), followed by Tartu County (9%), Ida-Viru (6%) and Pärnu Counties (5%). The rate of job vacancies was highest in Harju (2.1%) and Rapla (2.1%) Counties and lowest in Hiiu (0.4%), Põlva (0.5%) and Võru (0.5%) Counties.

Labour turnover steady

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged and departing employees), which totalled nearly 100,200 in the fourth quarter of 2018, remaining steady both on quarter and on year.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, both the number of employees hired and the number of employees who left their job were highest in wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and construction. 10% of all employees who left their job were employees who left on the employer's initiative.