Well-being at work has deteriorated, while concerns about the future of one’s work strain employees

Future expectations regarding work have deteriorated slightly. According to the How is Finland doing? study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), 40 per cent of working-age Finns were worried about what their work will look like in the future. Up to 45 per cent estimate that they cannot predict what will happen in their own work. Only 16 per cent believed that their work would change for the better in the future.  

"Finnish work life faces four negative developments that it must solve. Job demands have increased, job resources have weakened, future expectations have become more uncertain and burnout symptoms have increased, all at the same time. Fortunately, the changes are not drastic, but at this time it is important to foster hope and promote the resources of work communities," says Jari Hakanen, Research Professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

The How is Finland doing? follow-up study has monitored well-being at work and attitudes towards work since 2019. The most recent result summary specifically examines changes in the responses collected from the same respondents between the summer and the end of 2025.

Job resources are at a good level, but the trend is declining  

Experiences of job resources have declined slightly overall. For example, there was a slight decrease in the experience of fair treatment and being heard in the workplace. In late 2025, most people (79 per cent) still felt they were treated fairly at work, even though the figure decreased by approximately two percentage points since the summer of 2025. Simultaneously, loneliness at work has increased slightly, and is now experienced by about one in five people. One in four experiences general loneliness.  

"The negative effects of concern and uncertainty can be counteracted by investing in social resources at work. For example, workplaces can ensure that people are treated fairly, have their voices heard and are provided support regardless of the societal situation. Especially in uncertain times, it is important that we belong to a group in which we are appreciated and can receive support, if necessary," says Janne Kaltiainen, Specialist Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

On the other hand, many of stressful demands of work have increased. For example, people experience more conflicting expectations than before.

"The negative trend in job resources should be addressed in time to ensure that good working conditions will continue to be a strength of Finnish work life. Managers play a particularly important role in challenging times. At the same time, managers face more workload and receive less support than others, which can deteriorate their well-being at work over time," says Jie Li, Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.

"The great strength of today’s work life is that everyone can take the initiative and craft their job. For example, you can proactively foster a good atmosphere in your own work community, take care of others and come up with ideas for better practices," Li continues.

Burnout symptoms increased, especially among people aged 30—45

There is a slight decline in different areas of well-being at work compared to summer 2025. Boredom at work is increasingly common and work ability is declining. A total of 37 per cent of the respondents felt that their work ability was excellent, compared to 39 per cent six months earlier. However, work engagement, a descriptor of positive well-being at work, has remained at its previous level.  

Risk of job burnout has also increased. Approximately nine per cent suffer from probable job burnout, compared to eight per cent six months ago. The risk for burnout is heightened among 16 per cent. This means that in total burnout symptoms are at a worrying level for one in four Finns. Of the symptoms of burnout, cynicism and emotional impairment have become more prevalent.  

Burnout symptoms have increased among people aged 30—45 and are clearly more prevalent than in other age groups. As many as 13 per cent of them experienced severe burnout symptoms. Causes for this include greater job demands and fewer job resources than in other age groups. Feeling that other areas of their life take energy away from work was more common in this age group than others.  

"People in their thirties and forties were also more uncertain and worried about the future of their work. For many, life is very busy. It may also be the case that work life discourse focuses too much on either young adults or older employees and people in the middle of their careers are sidelined," says Jari Hakanen.  

"The positive message of our study is that there is still clearly more good than bad in Finnish work life. At the same time, it is also important to note that the situation has deteriorated slightly. Although the changes that have occurred in these six months are not big, it is important to intervene in this development early on. Promoting well-being at work is also important for the productivity and sustainable success of workplaces," says Janne Kaltiainen.  

Research project: Methods of the How is Finland doing?

• The research project produces information on the development of well-being at work and working conditions among Finnish employees. The study data consists of survey responses from working Finns aged 18—65.
• This time, the results summary examines changes in Finns' well-being at work and working conditions between late 2019 (N=1,567), summer 2023 (N=3,631), summer 2025 and late 2025 (N=2,143).  
• Research data from 2019, 2023 and 2025 was collected from different respondent groups. The research data for summer 2025 and late 2025 were collected from the same respondent group, making this dataset so-called longitudinal data, which combines the responses given by the same respondent at different times.
• In 2025 How is Finland doing? was implemented in the The Mental Health Toolkit project, which was part of The Mental Health at Work Programme. The project was funded by the European Union’s one-time recovery tool (Next Generation EU) via the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. From 2026 onward, the financing for the project is provided by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
• Read the summary of the study results and previous results of the project on the project page: How is Finland doing?

Further information

• Jari Hakanen, Research Professor, jari.hakanen@ttl.fi, +358 40 562 5433
• Janne Kaltiainen, Specialist Researcher, janne.kaltiainen@ttl.fi, +358 50 476 5980
• Jie Li, Researcher, jie.li@ttl.fi, +358 50 475 7376