Study: Jobseekers with foreign names receive fewer employment opportunities

Discrimination in recruitment based on ethnic background has decreased in Finland, but jobseekers with a foreign background still have to submit more applications in order to receive an invitation for a job interview than equally qualified applicants with a Finnish background. Potential workforce remains untapped due to ethnic prejudices.

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment explored how foreign background affects job search. In the study, 10,000 fictitious job applications were submitted to publicly advertised positions by equally qualified applicants of Finnish, English, Russian, Iraqi and Somali backgrounds. The positions were in the restaurant and catering, retail trade, cleaning, clerical and customer service sectors. The study compares the situation in 2016 and 2024.

Read the press release of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 27.1.2025