The total number of vacant and occupied posts in the third quarter was 588,494.

The number of vacant posts was the highest in education (2,025) and in wholesale and retail trade (1,264).

The number of occupied posts was in greatest in manufacturing (98,095), followed by wholesale and retail trade (82,918) and education (60,614).

The rate of job vacancies was 1.6 percent in the third quarter of 2025, remaining at the same level year-on-year.

Eveli Voolens, team lead of social statistics at Statistics Estonia, said the change is mostly due to the changing seasons, but the overall economic situation also plays a role.

"For instance, demand for labour is higher during the summer months due to seasonal work. In all seasons, one major factor influencing the labour market is uncertainty, which may be caused, for example, by rising energy costs or a decline in orders of enterprises. These, in turn, have a very direct impact on the need for enterprises to recruit new employees," she explained.

In the third quarter of 2025, the majority of job vacancies were in Harju county (74.7 percent of all vacant posts).

The largest share of occupied posts was found in Harju county as well (57.3 percent of all occupied posts), followed by Tartu (11.1 percent), Ida-Viru (4,5 percent), and Pärnu (3.9 percent) counties.

"The number of both occupied and vacant posts is usually higher around larger centers, as there are more enterprises, residents, and job opportunities in these regions. It is therefore natural that the labour flows are also higher in such areas," Voolens said.

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