Finland's immigrant workforce still low: Etla

A recent study by Economic Research of Finland (Etla) published on Monday found that while Finland's exports have benefited from foreign workers, the share of workers with an immigrant background remains low, reported Xinhua.

According to the study, hiring foreign workers has positively impacted Finnish industrial companies. These workers play a key role in establishing international trade connections with their countries of origin, and companies that hire their first non-native employees tend to employ more over time, explained Terhi Maczulskij, research manager at Etla.

"The results suggest that measures to promote the employment of immigrants, especially in export-oriented sectors, can have positive effects on company performance and international trade," Maczulskij said.

Since the 1990s, the number of immigrants in Finland has steadily increased. Between 1990 and 2023, the share of foreign-born workers in the Finnish population rose from 0.5 percent to 6.7 percent, according to Etla. Nevertheless, more than 70 percent of industrial companies have no employees with an immigrant background, a rate low compared to other Western countries.

Maczulskij noted that ethnic discrimination in recruitment, which remains widespread in Finland, could be one explanation for the low numbers.

Etla is a non-profit economic research institute that conducts independent, applied research on key issues for Finnish business and the national economy.