Given Finland’s current demographic trends, it is obvious that we need to increase immigration and provide integration services that enable everyone to fully participate the society. At the same time, systematic measures are needed against the exploitation of foreign workforce and other people in a weak labour market position and the emergence of a two-tier labour market. As long as there are fundamental problems in the essentials, such as salaries, occupational safety and working time, we cannot boast that work life in Finland is good.
This August, I toured across Finland to discuss about the future of work. The purpose of the tour was to find out how work life is changing and how we can increase the employment rate, well-being at work, labour market participation and employees’ rights amid the changes. Hearing the views of entrepreneurs, employees, researchers and experts offered interesting perspectives to work life, from megatrends to acute challenges.
The biggest challenge today in the future is labour shortage, which is the result of an increased employment rate on one hand and ageing of the population on the other. Almost all workplaces I visited have encountered this issue. The labour shortage cannot be solved by a single silver bullet. Instead, we need a range of measures that address, for example, people’s competencies, work ability and the integration of work and social security. It is also essential to increase inclusion in work life by promoting the employment of people with partial workability and eradicating all kinds of discrimination.
Given Finland’s current demographic trends, it is obvious that we need to increase immigration and provide integration services that enable everyone to fully participate the society. At the same time, systematic measures are needed against the exploitation of foreign workforce and other people in a weak labour market position and the emergence of a two-tier labour market. As long as there are fundamental problems in the essentials, such as salaries, occupational safety and working time, we cannot boast that work life in Finland is good.
The set of anti-exploitation measures launched by the Government must be promoted firmly, but we also need new types of measures. In addition to more resources for monitoring, we also need to improve co-operation between authorities and give broader powers for occupational safety and health enforcement.
A key driver of change in work life is automatisation, which has already revolutionised work life and Finland’s economic structure. Although automatisation has eliminated a lot of jobs and will continue to do so, it should not be seen simply as a threat. Technological innovations can also create new jobs and Finnish companies must be at the forefront of this change in order to be successful. In the longer term, technological development can give us more free time, if we politically so choose. Therefore, the Government’s commitment to a significant increase in R&D investments, is a sensible future-oriented policy.
The trends in work life do not treat everyone equally and often result in winners and losers. However, the trends are not a force of nature. Instead, political measures can be used as a tool for keeping everyone involved. Life-long learning and increasing the level of competence throughout the population are the keys to adjust to the changes in the economic structure. We will continue to need bold reforms, such as the extension of compulsory education, in order to create a future work life that is open for everyone.
Work is a significant part of people’s lives and the society. A good work life is essential for a good society. Therefore, our goal cannot be any less than the world’s best work life in the world’s best country.
Hanna Sarkkinen
Minister of Social Affairs and Health
