The number of job vacancies was over 7,000 in the 1st quarter

The rate of job vacancies is the share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs (sum of occupied posts and vacancies).

The rate of job vacancies was the highest in information and communication (2.6%), and the lowest in mining and quarrying (0.0%).

Compared to the 1st quarter of 2011, the rate of job vacancies increased the fastest in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply activity (1.4 percentage points.)

The increase in the number of job vacancies was the biggest in construction, where there were nearly two times more vacancies, compared to the 1st quarter of 2011.

31% of the job vacancies were in the public sector and 69% in the private sector. The rate of job vacancies was 1.4% in the public sector and 1.3% in the private sector. The public sector includes also companies owned by the state or local government.

Rate of job vacancies, 1st quarter 2005 – 1st quarter 2012

In 2011, an average of 64,200 employees per quarter were engaged and left their jobs in total (the labour turnover). The increase of labour turnover was 16.7% compared to 2010.

A job vacancy is a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or becomes vacant when an employee leaves, and for which the employer is actively trying to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise, institution or organisation concerned.

The data are based on the job vacancies and labour turnover survey conducted by Statistics Estonia since 2005. In 2012, the sample included nearly 11,700 enterprises, institutions and organisations.