Unemployment and employment both increased last year

Text Ingel Kink
Photo Austin Distel / Unsplash

According to data released by Statistics Estonia, the unemployment rate in 2024 rose to 7.6 per cent, up by 1.2 percentage points from the previous year. The average number of unemployed people in 2024 was 57,100, which is an increase of 9,400 compared to 2023. Unemployment saw a sharp rise in the first quarter, but gradually stabilised throughout the rest of the year, reaching 7.4 per cent by the fourth quarter.

The number of employed persons in Estonia also grew slightly, with an increase of 4,000 compared to 2023. The employment rate stood at 68.9 per cent, which was a 0.3 percentage point increase from the previous year. Employment grew among women, particularly in the age group 65–74, while the number of employed men saw a small decline.

Regionally, employment increased in Northern, Southern, and Northeastern Estonia, but remained stable in Central Estonia and decreased in Western Estonia. Employment growth was most noticeable in agriculture, accommodation, food services, and trade. However, the manufacturing sector, especially the production of computer and optical products, saw a decline in employment.

The rise in both unemployed and employed individuals can be attributed to the increase in the working-age population, which grew by 9,600, and a drop of 3,700 in the number of economically inactive people. Consequently, the labour force participation rate increased to 74.6 per cent, a rise of 0.7 percentage points from 2023.

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Economic activity Estonia Employment in Estonia Estonia job trends Estonia workforce Regional employment Statistics Estonia Unemployment in Estonia