Finland Rethinks Foreign Labor Amid Shifts
Jul 16, 2025
Category: Finland Foreign Workers News
As Finland grapples with rising unemployment and shifting immigration policies, public support for foreign labor has significantly declined, even as more international graduates choose to stay in the country.
A contrasting trend emerges: while work permit applications drop, applications from foreign-educated professionals have surged.
Fewer Finns want more foreign labor
In just nine months, public opinion on foreign labor shifted dramatically.
In September 2023, 58% of respondents supported bringing in more foreign workers. By June 2025, that number fell to 44%, according to a Työelämägallup survey commissioned by Suomen Yrittäjät, a federation representing Finnish entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, opposition to labor migration rose to 38%
“This reflects changing economic conditions,” said Juhana Brotherus, chief economist at Suomen Yrittäjät. “When the economy slows and employment prospects weaken, foreign workers are increasingly seen as competitors rather than necessary reinforcements.”
Unemployment drives fear, not just policy
The shift in opinion isn’t happening in a vacuum.
Finland’s economy is slowing. Job prospects are tightening. These factors reshape how people see foreign labor, not as help, but as a threat.
While attitudes vary by gender, political party, and occupation, the clearest drop in support comes from men. Managers and professionals still largely back labor migration—61% say it’s needed—but support among other groups is lower.
Political views also divide the public: Green League, National Coalition, and Swedish People’s Party voters remain supportive, while Finns Party voters show strong resistance.
Permits down, but graduates stay
Meanwhile, work-based residence permit applications dropped 25% in the first half of 2025, according to data from the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
By the end of June, only 15,491 applications were submitted, a major drop from the previous year.
Legal changes partly explain the trend. A new seasonal work rule pushed berry pickers and other temporary workers to apply for short-term seasonal permits instead of standard work visas.
Economic uncertainty also played a role. Johannes Hirvelä, Migri’s development director, said slow recovery and high unemployment are shaping permit decisions.
“There is a broad labor supply in many sectors, and this is reflected in permit decisions,” he explained.
But while fewer foreign workers are applying, foreign graduates are staying. Applications from international students hoping to remain in Finland after graduation rose 59% in the first half of 2025.
Migri approved 99% of those cases.
New rules slow processing, raise rejections
It’s not just fewer applications; processing is taking longer too. The average wait for a work-based permit is now 61 days, longer than before.
Legal reforms and the transfer of authority from employment offices to Migri added layers of review. That led to more rejections and delays.
First-time applicants now face a 23% rejection rate, up from 19% last year. About 14% of rejections are due to labor market availability assessments, while nearly one-fifth are tied to concerns over exploitation or the employer’s track record.
Entrepreneur visas decline sharply
Finland also saw a sharp drop in applications from growth entrepreneurs. In the first half of 2025, only 175 such applications were submitted—a 34% drop.
Rejection rates tripled, from 5% to 15%. Processing times nearly doubled.
Standard entrepreneurs fared no better. Of the 611 applications submitted, only 54% of processed cases were approved.
Most rejections followed negative reviews from regional development centers.
Despite these barriers, some categories remain steady. Researcher applications held firm, and specialist permits still saw fast processing.
Ninety-eight percent of specialist applications were approved within nine days.
Most Finns don’t feel the need to work
Even with the ongoing debate, most workers don’t see foreign labor as essential to their jobs. Only 17% of respondents in the Työelämägallup survey said that their own workplace needs foreign workers.
That number jumps to 28% in social and healthcare sectors, where staff shortages remain critical.
“Although labor shortages are widely discussed, the need for foreign employees is not always visible in daily work life,” said Brotherus. “In health and social care, the demand is tangible and urgent.”
Public prefers pay raises over branding
When asked how Finland should fix labor shortages, the public favors practical fixes. Pay raises led the list with 53% support.
Internships came next (49%), followed by increased study placements in critical fields (41%). Reducing employer costs (32%), better leadership (38%), and school cooperation (38%) also received backing.
More abstract ideas, like employer branding or staffing agencies, didn’t resonate. Only 7% saw staffing agencies as a solution.
Just 15% supported employer branding. “People believe in practical measures like better pay and more training opportunities,” Brotherus explained.
Foreign students face new uncertainty
As foreign graduates choose to stay, the Finnish government is considering a controversial step: charging tuition for non-EU students in high schools and vocational training. Brotherus warned against rushing the decision.
“The timing and pricing are unclear. Before any decisions, we should study how foreign students perform and how they integrate into the labor market,” he said.
Complicating future travel plans
Finland’s declining support for foreign labor suggests a growing public reluctance toward non-citizen workers amid economic instability.
This sentiment, paired with rising permit rejections and longer processing times, could discourage long-term visitors seeking employment.
For short-term travellers, this shift may signal a less welcoming environment, especially as the EU readies the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) in late 2026, potentially reinforcing stricter entry screening.
Combined with tightening Schengen visa scrutiny in response to domestic unemployment, this trend may foreshadow a more controlled, risk-averse European entry system.
Fewer doors open for job-seeking migrants
Migrants are increasingly facing barriers in Finland’s changing labor landscape. While 82% of work permits are still approved, rejection rates, especially for first-time applicants, have climbed, with many refusals tied to stricter labor market availability assessments.
Moreover, public opposition to labor migration is growing, driven by fears of job competition during economic downturns. The result is a migration climate where employment-based entry is harder to secure unless applicants possess in-demand skills or qualifications, conditions many migrants may not initially meet.
Domestic pressures over open borders
Finnish immigration policy is shifting from labor-driven openness to domestic workforce prioritization. The government is considering tuition hikes for non-EU students and placing new burdens on employers through complex permit processes and slow approvals.
These trends mirror a broader EU movement where national policies increasingly diverge from pan-European labor mobility goals. If replicated elsewhere, this may undermine coordinated EU strategies and complicate the bloc’s efforts to address demographic challenges through skilled migration.
A divided future for Finland’s labor
As Finland grapples with economic strain and shifting public sentiment, its labor market stands at a crossroads. More foreign graduates are staying, even as support for foreign labor wanes and work permit hurdles rise.
The tension between national priorities and global talent ambitions is reshaping migration policies in real time. Whether this leads to opportunity or isolation remains a defining question for the country’s future.