Improvements in work and well-being at work in the municipal sector after changes over the past years

Press release of The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health 10 December 2024

The reform package on healthcare and social welfare may partly explain the improvement in the municipal sector. As a result of the reform, employees working in healthcare and social welfare and rescue services were transferred from municipalities to wellbeing services counties, with the exception of Helsinki.
 
“However, the changed personnel structure of municipalities does not fully explain the improved situation, as positive development can also be seen in the occupational groups that have continued to work for municipalities,” says Kunta10 study Researcher Risto Nikunlaakso from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Work pressure in teaching and early childhood education decreased

The work pressure experienced by municipalities’ largest occupational groups, i.e. teachers and early childhood education employees, has decreased by 7–9 percentage points compared to two years ago. In 2024, 37 per cent of secondary education teachers, 53 per cent of primary school teachers and early childhood education teachers, 42 per cent of special needs teachers and 32 per cent of childcarers and teachers’ aides experienced a high level of work pressure.
 
At the same time, the recovery of teachers has also improved, and the proportion of those who recover well has increased by approximately five percentage points. In 2024, 33–39 per cent of teachers recovered well from the stress caused by their working days.
 
Compared to two years ago, positive development can also be seen in fair management and the employees’ willingness to recommend their employer.  Of all respondents, 79 per cent would recommend their employer to friends. This figure has grown by 10 percentage points in two years. Employees’ intentions to switch employers have also decreased.

Client violence has continued to increase

The results of the Kunta10 follow-up study reveal a concerning increase in client violence. An increasing number of employees, particularly in the education sector, report incidents of client violence or the threat of violence. The number has been increasing since the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.
 
In 2024, 82 per cent of special needs teachers reported at least one incident of violence or a threatening situation in their work during the past year. The corresponding figure for primary school teachers and teachers’ aides as well as early childhood education teachers and childcarers was 68 per cent. Compared to two years ago, the increase is three percentage points, and compared to the COVID-19 year 2020, the increase is up to ten percentage points.

The development of perceived work ability varies between different age groups

The study has monitored employees in the municipal sector since the beginning of the 2000s. Trends in the development of perceived work ability vary by age group. The work ability of people over the age of 50 has developed positively, but the proportion of people under the age of 40 who feel that they have a reduced work ability increased significantly from around 2016 to 2022. Presently, the negative trend in the development of work ability among people under the age of 40 seems to have stopped at the level of 2022. This can also be seen in the large occupational groups that have continued to work for municipalities.
 
In terms of mental health, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms is a cause for concern, especially among young municipal employees: 25 per cent of respondents under the age of 30 experienced either symptoms of depression or anxiety, or both. When compared to the situation two years ago, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms has not improved. 

“The development of work ability observed in the Kunta10 study largely corresponds to the development observed in Kela’s sickness allowance statistics. The statistics show a significant increase in mental health-related sickness absences among young women in particular since around 2016. It is logical that the trend of the female-dominated municipal sector follows the development of the national trend of working-age women,” says Director of the Kunta10 study Jenni Ervasti from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

Kunta10 study

• The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s Kunta10 study is Finland’s largest follow-up study of municipal employees. The study involves Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Naantali, Raisio, Nokia, Valkeakoski and Virrat.  
• In 2024, there were a total of 52,071 respondents (response rate 68 per cent) 

Kunta10 research results

• Media event presentation material in Finnish (PDF)

See also

• The results of the Kunta10 study follow-up surveys can be viewed in the Work-life Knowledge Service

Further information

• Jenni Ervasti, Chief Researcher, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, tel. +358 (0)43 825 5475, jenni.ervasti@ttl.fi
• Risto Nikunlaakso, Senior Specialist, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, tel. +358 (0)40 742 7944, risto.nikunlaakso@ttl.fi