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The total number of vacant and occupied posts in the second quarter was 590,408 – this is 0.9% less than in the same quarter of 2025.

The number of vacant posts was the highest in education (1,558), public administration and defence, compulsory social security (1,274), wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (1,029), and manufacturing (968).

“Looking at the labour market as a whole, employment did not increase in the second quarter. The Labour Force Survey data published in August showed a decline in the unemployment rate, but there was no comparable rise in employment. The same trend characterises job vacancies,” said Krista Vaikmets, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia. 

A job vacancy is a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or about to become vacant, which the employer is actively trying to fill and intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time. Therefore, the number of job vacancies directly reflects employers’ demand for additional labour force. If enterprises do not need more labour, there is no reason to create new posts or to quickly fill vacancies.

“The current data seem to suggest that enterprises are carefully adapting to improved economic conditions. This means that the number of vacancies may remain lower, even if some labour market indicators – such as the unemployment rate, or wages – show a positive trend,” explained Vaikmets.

The number of vacancies was the highest in education, public administration and trade

In the second quarter of 2026, vacancies represented 1.4% of all job posts, down from 1.7% a year ago.

The number of vacancies showed the biggest increase in administrative and support service activities, arts, entertainment and recreation, and accommodation and food service activities. Year on year, the number of vacancies decreased in professional, scientific and technical activities and in the energy sector.

In the second quarter, the number of occupied posts was 582,045 – this is 3,371 fewer than a year earlier but 431 more than in the first quarter of this year. 

The number of occupied posts was the greatest in manufacturing (98,025), trade (81,968) and education (62,827).

Compared with the second quarter of 2025, the number of occupied posts fell the most in trade – by about 2,000. The number of occupied posts decreased by nearly 1,100 in transportation and storage and by about 1,000 in the energy sector. “In the case of the energy sector, the change in the number of occupied posts is related to restructuring in the enterprises in this sector – this also had an impact on the average gross wages statistics,” explained Vaikmets.

51,313 people were hired in the second quarter, which is over 600 more than in the second quarter of last year. The highest numbers of new hires were recorded in wholesale and retail trade (8,467) and manufacturing (6,780).

The number of people leaving their job on the initiative of the employer was 5,790 – almost the same as a year ago – and represented 12.2% of all those who left their job.

In the second quarter, the economic activities with the highest number of employees leaving were wholesale and retail trade (6,907 employees) and manufacturing (6,452). 

Tallinn still had the highest number of vacancies

Regionally, the biggest share of job vacancies in the second quarter of 2026 were in Harju county (80.2%). “Tallinn accounts for most of this, as 69% of all job vacancies are based in Tallinn. 6.6% of job vacancies were in Tartu county, 2.6% in Pärnu county and 2% in Ida-Viru county,” said Vaikmets.

In the second quarter, Harju and Tartu counties also had the biggest share of occupied posts (55.2% and 10.5%, respectively). They were followed by Pärnu (3.9%), Lääne-Viru (3.6%) and Ida-Viru (3.6%) counties. 

“Thus, the Estonian labour market is increasingly centred in Tallinn and Harju county. The larger part of new posts are also created around the capital,” added Vaikmets.

Methodology and definitions

To estimate the number of occupied posts and labour turnover, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the employment register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board. Data on job vacancies, however, are collected by Statistics Estonia using a questionnaire.

The number of employees who left their jobs and the number of new hires do not exactly correspond to the change in occupied posts. When a post becomes unoccupied, it does not always mean that it becomes a new occupied post or a new vacancy, since the position may be eliminated or the duties may be redistributed, for example. Labour flow indicators are also influenced by people with several jobs, people who change jobs or employees who rotate to another position in the same organisation or in another organisation.

Job vacancy – a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied or about to become vacant, for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise/institution/organisation concerned, and which the employer intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time.

Number of job vacancies – the quarterly average calculated based on three months' data (data as at the end of the month).

Rate of job vacancies – the share of job vacancies in the total number of jobs.

The quarterly average number of vacant 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.

Data as at 8 September 2026 are published. The indicator values may change if there are any revisions made in the data sources after this date.

More detailed data have been published in the statistical database.

See also the dedicated section on wages and salaries and labour costs.

When using Statistics Estonia’s data and graphs, please indicate the source.

For further information:
Annaliisa Köss
Media Relations Partner
Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 5696 6484
press [at] stat.ee (press[at]stat[dot]ee)

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