Young people struggling to find work in Estonia despite being proactive
Young people in Estonia are finding it increasingly difficult to get jobs even as unemployment overall has been falling.
Employment among 15–24-year-olds is at a 15-year low. Swedbank senior economist Liis Elmik outlined three reasons for this.
"One reason is that this age group has become younger overall — there are more school-age people who should primarily be studying rather than working. The second factor is that the number of jobs has decreased in sectors where young people often work alongside their studies — various service industries, tourism, retail, and agriculture. The third reason is that young people's health has been deteriorating," Elmik told "Aktuaalne kaamera."
Technological development, including the onward march of AI, reducing the need for human labor is a fourth factor, she said.
"It is probably difficult for young people to find work right now, and in the future it may become even harder. Various studies in the United States have shown that the development and wider use of artificial intelligence in companies is reducing demand for entry-level workers," Elmik noted.
Tallink Grupp HR manager Age Vanajuur agreed. "We have been seeing overall that labor mobility has come to a halt. People are holding on to their jobs more than before, which also means we are hiring fewer new people," she said.
There is no lack of desire among young people to find work, however, Vanajuur said.
"As an example, I could mention a warehouse position we opened just three days ago, where by the third day there were already nearly 150 applicants for just two positions. So we will probably see around 100 people competing for each warehouse job. Most of them are young people conducting their first job hunts," Vanajuur said.
Oru Hub Hotel Tallinn CEO Harles Tammeleht confirmed his company and sector had been seeing something similar.
"Young people have been genuinely looking for work, and for our breakfast service position we were wholly able to take our pick of candidates. Young people are active — they do not only respond to job advertisements, but they have also been sending their CVs on their own initiative and contacting us directly saying they are looking for summer work and asking what opportunities are available. Then the HR manager communicates with them directly," Tammeleht said.
Recent figures from Statistics Estonia showed unemployment stood at 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, slightly higher than the figure for the final quarter of 2025, but 1.5 percentage points down on the year.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Marko Tooming
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera'
