2025 employment tracking: Where international talent stands in Finland

Executive summary#

This study analyzes 2025 employment outcomes for 2,132 international professionals living in Finland who are registered in the Herizon community portal and have a LinkedIn profile. Key findings:

• 1,156 employed (54.2% of the sample), with an additional 513 working as interns, freelancers, or entrepreneurs
• 78.3% workforce participation when including all work types (employment, internships, freelancing, entrepreneurship)
• 385 people experienced job loss during 2025, with 182 cycling through employment and back to unemployment within the same year
• 31 new businesses started in 2025, representing 43% of all entrepreneurs in the sample
• 4 people moved to Finland during 2025, all of whom are now employed

1. Introduction#

Finland's unemployment rate hit 10.6% in November 2025, the highest in the European Union. For international professionals, the situation is worse. The employment rate of foreigners was 59.6% in late 2024, about 10 percentage points lower than for native Finns, and the number of unemployed foreign jobseekers increased 18% year-over-year.

Against this backdrop, tracking actual employment outcomes for international talent is critical. This study presents 12 months of employment data from the Herizon community, providing granular insight into how international professionals navigated the Finnish labor market in 2025.

2. Methodology#

2.1 Data source#

Employment status data was collected via LinkedIn profile tracking of Herizon community members throughout 2025.

2.2 Sample#

• Total contacts in the Herizon system: 2,730
• Excluded: 327 profiles without LinkedIn, 271 people not living in Finland
• Final sample: 2,132 people living in Finland with LinkedIn profiles
• Period: January to December 2025

2.3 Limitations#

1. LinkedIn-based tracking: Employment status is derived from LinkedIn profiles. People who do not update their profiles may be misclassified.
2. Self-selection bias: The sample consists of individuals who registered for an employment-focused community. Results may not represent all international professionals in Finland.
3. Classification ambiguity: Some individuals may fall into overlapping categories (e.g., a freelancer who also holds a part-time job).
4. Survival bias: People who leave Finland or disengage from the community are less likely to appear in the data.

3. Current employment status#

As of the end of 2025, the employment breakdown across the 2,132 people in the sample:

3.1 Employment#

1,156 people, or 54.2% of the sample, are employed. This is the core metric Herizon tracks as its primary employment outcome.

For context, the December 2025 figure of 1,156 represents significant growth from 572 employed members at the end of 2024. Employment within the community roughly doubled during the year.

3.2 Internships#

285 people (13.4%) are currently in internships. Internships serve as a common entry point into the Finnish labor market for international professionals, particularly recent graduates and career changers.

3.3 Freelancing#

156 people (7.3%) work as freelancers. Freelancing is often a practical route for international professionals who face barriers in traditional hiring but have marketable skills.

3.4 Entrepreneurship#

72 people (3.4%) are entrepreneurs. Of these, 31 started a business in 2025, meaning 43% of the entrepreneurs in the sample launched their business within the past year. This suggests that entrepreneurship is not just a legacy status but an active choice people are making in the current market.

4. Labor market dynamics in 2025#

Beyond the current snapshot, tracking movement in and out of employment reveals how volatile the labor market was for international professionals in 2025.

4.1 Job losses#

203 people lost their jobs during 2025. This represents 9.5% of the total sample.

In a labor market where Finland had the EU's highest unemployment rate and nearly 3,900 companies declared bankruptcy, international professionals were clearly affected.

4.2 Employment cycling#

182 people found a job and lost it within 2025. They are now unemployed.

This is perhaps the most striking finding. These individuals managed to secure employment but could not hold onto it. This cycling pattern suggests that many of the jobs available to international talent may be short-term contracts, project-based roles, or positions at companies that themselves did not survive 2025.

Combined with the 203 who lost jobs, a total of 385 people (18% of the sample) experienced job loss during the year. This is a significant churn rate and underscores the instability that international professionals face, even when they do find work.

4.3 Mobility#

4 people moved to Finland during 2025 and all of them are now employed. While this is a very small number, it is worth noting: all four found employment. This could suggest that people who moved to Finland in 2025 had jobs arranged in advance or were otherwise well-positioned in the labor market.

5. The bigger picture#

5.1 Workforce participation vs. employment rate#

The 54.2% employment rate tells one story. The 78.3% workforce participation rate, including interns, freelancers, and entrepreneurs, tells another.

Nearly four out of five international professionals in this sample are actively working in some capacity. Many who are not in traditional employment have found alternative paths: interning, freelancing, or building their own companies.

This matters because employment statistics often count only traditional employment. When 513 additional people are contributing to the economy through internships, freelancing, and entrepreneurship, the picture is less bleak than a 54% employment rate suggests.

5.2 Job market volatility#

The 18% churn rate (385 people experiencing job loss in a single year) points to structural fragility. Finding a job is hard. Keeping one may be just as hard.

For 182 people, the full cycle played out in 2025: they found work, and then lost it. This pattern is consistent with the broader economic conditions in Finland, where bankruptcies hit a 30-year high and construction-led insolvencies wiped out thousands of positions.

5.3 Entrepreneurship as a response#

With 31 new businesses started in 2025 (43% of all entrepreneurs in the sample), entrepreneurship is emerging as a meaningful employment pathway. When traditional employers cannot or will not hire, some international professionals are creating their own opportunities.

6. What this means#

For policymakers, employers, and support organizations, this data highlights three things:

1. Employment alone is not enough. 182 people found work and lost it within a year. Retention support, not just job placement, needs attention.

2. Alternative work forms matter. 513 people are working as interns, freelancers, or entrepreneurs. Policies and programs should account for these pathways, not just traditional employment.

3. The international talent pool is active. 78.3% of people in this sample are working in some form. The narrative that international professionals are not participating in the economy does not match this data.

7. About this data#

This study is part of Herizon's ongoing employment tracking program. Herizon is a non-profit organization focused on connecting international talent with employment in Finland and across Europe.

• Full community: 2,730 registered members
• This sample: 2,132 people living in Finland with LinkedIn profiles
• Not included: 327 members without LinkedIn, 271 members not living in Finland
• Data frequency: Updated quarterly
• More data: herizon.io/open-data