The first thing to know about the Finnish job market is that language dictates most of it. Outside software, research and a handful of international companies where English is the working language, most jobs expect at least working Finnish or Swedish: enough to follow a conversation, answer the phone and read what you are signing. English alone narrows the field significantly, but it does not close it.
Start before you arrive
You can do most of the search from abroad, and if you are not an EU or EEA citizen, you have to. A visa allows you to visit for up to 90 days but does not permit you to work, and you can only apply for a work-based residence permit once you have found a job or have a binding job offer. The order is therefore job first, permit second, then the move. Our overview of moving to Finland and the page on residence permit conditions cover the permit side.
EU and EEA citizens can move and look for work freely. If you receive unemployment benefit in your home country, the U2 form allows you to continue receiving it while you search for work in Finland for three to six months; register as a jobseeker with the Finnish employment services when you arrive.
Where the vacancies are
- Job Market Finland (Työmarkkinatori). The public job board and the front door to public employment services, available in English, Finnish, Swedish, plain Finnish and Sámi. You can search for vacancies, publish a jobseeker profile for employers to find, and register as a jobseeker. It replaced the old TE office job pages.
- Work in Finland. The national service aimed at international professionals, featuring its own list of vacancies for people moving from abroad.
- EURES. The European Commission's job mobility portal, offering Finnish vacancies, living and working information, and advisers you can contact in your own language.
- Public sector. State jobs are advertised on Valtiolle.fi, and municipal roles, including those in healthcare, schools and early years education, on Kuntarekry.
- Commercial job boards. Duunitori, Oikotie Työpaikat and Jobly carry many private-sector vacancies; Aarresaari lists jobs for university graduates.
The Labour Force Barometer, linked from InfoFinland, shows which occupations are short of workers and which have a surplus, region by region. It is worth ten minutes before you decide where to concentrate.
Public employment services since 2025
As of 1 January 2025, the old TE offices have closed. Public employment services are now run by municipalities, either individually or in groups known as employment areas, and you can find your local service through the regional pages of Job Market Finland. If you live in Finland and are unemployed, this is where you register and where your job coaching and training are provided. The national platform itself is maintained by the KEHA Centre.
The International Houses in the larger cities, particularly in Helsinki, have job advisers for recent arrivals, and International House Helsinki offers some remote advice before you move.
How people actually get hired
Many jobs are never advertised. Finns are comfortable with an open application (avoin hakemus) sent to a company that has not posted any vacancies, and networks matter: a former colleague, a course, or a volunteer role. Agencies that hire out staff to other companies (vuokratyö) are a common first step and often lead to a direct contract.
Your CV and cover letter can be in Finnish, Swedish or English; match the language of the advert, and keep them short and factual. Expect the entire search to take months rather than weeks.
If your profession is regulated — such as a doctor, nurse, teacher or lawyer — get your qualifications recognised early. This takes time, and employers in these fields will ask for it.
Never pay for a job
In Finland, employment services are free of charge for the worker. Anyone asking you for a fee to find you a job or to handle a permit application is not a normal employer or agency. The same applies to seasonal farm work; see seasonal berry picking work.
Once you have secured a job, the next steps are outlined in first steps after moving to Finland. For the unwritten rules of the workplace, see Finnish business culture.
