In the 4th quarter, the number of job vacancies decreased

In 2017, there were approximately 11,200 job vacancies in the 1st quarter, approximately 12,000 job vacancies in the 2nd quarter and approximately 12,700 job vacancies in the 3rd quarter.

The economic activities of manufacturing (20%), wholesale and retail trade (15%) and education (10%) continued to have the largest shares in the total number of posts (vacant and occupied). Manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade are the biggest employers also in terms of the highest number of job vacancies. The total number of posts in the 4th quarter numbered nearly 552,900, having increased 0.9% compared to the 4th quarter of 2016 and decreased 1.1% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2017.

The rate of job vacancies, i.e. the share of job vacancies in the total number of posts, was 1.9% in the 4th quarter of 2017, which is 0.4 percentage points lower than in the previous quarter, and 0.3 percentage points higher than in the 4th quarter of 2016.

In the 4th quarter, the rate of job vacancies was the highest in information and communication (2.9%), administrative and support service activities (2.8%) and in public administration and defence (2.7%).The rate of job vacancies was the lowest in mining and quarrying (0.2%) and in real estate activities (0.8%).

Three quarters (74%) of the vacant posts were in the private sector and every forth vacant post was in the public sector. In the 4th quarter of 2017, the rate of job vacancies was the highest in state institutions and enterprises (2.7%) and in enterprises owned by foreign private entities (2.4%). The rate of job vacancies was the lowest in enterprises owned by Estonian private entities (1.7%) and in municipal institutions and enterprises (1.1%).

Most of the vacant posts were in Harju county (68%), incl. 53% in Tallinn, followed by Tartu county (9%) and Ida-Viru county (5%). The number of vacant posts was the lowest in Hiiu, Jõgeva and Võru counties.

The movement of labour is characterised by labour turnover (the total number of engaged employees and those who have left), which amounted to nearly 105,900 in the 3rd quarter of 2017, denoting a 12% increase compared to the previous quarter and an 18% increase compared to the 3rd quarter of 2016. Compared to the 3rd quarter of 2016, labour turnover decreased in mining and quarrying (24%) and in arts, entertainment and recreation (7%). The largest increase in labour turnover occurred in professional, scientific and technical activities (40%), water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (40%) and in construction (38%). Both the number of employees hired and the number of employees who left their job continued to be the highest in manufacturing and in wholesale and retail trade.

The data are based on the statistical activity “Job vacancies and labour turnover”, conducted by Statistics Estonia since 2005. In 2017, the sample included 12,600 enterprises, institutions and organisations; the data of randomly selected units are imputed to the total population separately in each stratum. As of the 2nd quarter of 2016, Statistics Estonia uses the data of the Employment Register of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board to pre-fill the survey questionnaires. 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.