Trade Union JHL’s survey: Transferring TE services from central government to municipalities has failed, risking employment promotion

The findings are from a survey that the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL conducted in October. The survey was answered by 432 employees of TE services (employment and economic development services). That is nearly 10% of all employees in the sector.

The respondents felt that the change was poorly prepared and implemented. The new organisations are still unfinished, even though the services should have been operational for months. Many respondents think that their job description is unclear.

General dissatisfaction and illfare have increased at workplaces. According to one respondent, “the number of sick leaves has exploded”.

“Operations are confused. The work is very stressful,” the respondents comment.

The background of the current situation is the huge TE services reform 2024, where the responsibility for employment management was transferred from central government to municipalities on 1 January 2025.

“It should be of utmost importance in the current employment situation that Finland has functioning employment services. We cannot afford poor wellbeing of TE services employees,” comments the President of Trade Union JHL Håkan Ekström in his criticism of the rushed preparations.

“Employment promotion has been gradually run down in Finland”

The impression is that employment services have become poorer when they moved from TE Offices to employment areas that are formed from municipalities.

“Employment promotion has been gradually run down in Finland,” comments one of the respondents.

Some respondents tell that individual employees have even hundreds of more clients.

“It’s to be feared that for example the long-term unemployed and those who are in a more vulnerable position will be left outside the services,” the respondents write.

Many respondents tell that the growing unemployment, among other reasons, has significantly increased the numbers of clients. Fixed-term posts have not been renewed, and increased sick leaves have further burdened the employees.

Insufficient resources and problems in leadership

The respondent tell that there is not enough money or personnel for taking care of the duties of the employment areas.

“The central government has the responsibility to secure sufficient resources for the municipalities,” Ekström reminds.

In some places the respondents described that the leadership is authoritarian, leads by fear and is inconsistent. The employees felt that they haven’t been listened to.

The respondents also tell that their terms and conditions of employment and working conditions have become poorer: remote work has been drastically limited, and public service working hours have been replaced with general working hours. The latter means in practice two more working hours per week, with the same salary.

Appendix: Answers to the survey’s multiple-choice questions

More information:

Håkan Ekström, President, Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL: 040 828 2865, Hakan.Ekstrom@jhl.fi

Kristian Karrasch, Bargaining Director, Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors JHL: 040 728 9046, Kristian.Karrasch@jhl.fi