Life for many people in “the world’s happiest country” can be very different from the image projected by state agencies and social media, according to a guest on Yle News’ APN podcast.
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The image Finland projects to the world does not necessarily tally with the breadlines and unemployment queues that have both become increasingly longer in recent years. Image: Matti Myller / Yle, Antti Kolppo / Yle, Jorge González / Yle
Finland is widely considered to be a trust-based society — where corruption is low, confidence in public institutions is relatively high, and if someone says something, they usually mean it.
But is Finland being honest about Finland?
Speaking on Yle News’ All Points North podcast, Pieter den Heten said that Finland needs to “manage expectations” about the realities of life in the country and the challenges that international workers face when they relocate.
“I do think that the benefits [of life in Finland] are often highlighted and overstated, and there’s not enough attention paid to the potential downsides, such as a very poor job market,” he said.
Finland, therefore, “needs to be more honest about Finland”, he added.
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Pieter den Heten (left) and Megha Goswami (centre) joined Yle News journalist Ronan Browne (right) in the APN studio this week. Image: Matthew Schilke / Yle
Den Heten further told the show that he gave up his own job search due to a frustrating lack of suitable positions, as jobseekers grapple with the worst unemployment rate in the EU. Instead, he plans to leave Finland “as soon as an opportunity arises”.
He added that the decision to leave is a natural, logical step for many people facing the same situation as he is.
“You come here with an objective, you don’t achieve it quickly enough, you potentially end up in trouble even, of course you’re going to leave,” he said.
Den Heten’s fellow guest on this week’s episode, Megha Goswami of the ‘Couple of Expats’ social media account, noted that she hears similar conversations in her own circles.
“I hope Finland is able to stop losing talent,” she said. “I hope that that is something that we can address before too much talent is lost, before the nation branding is turned upside down, before it’s too late in simple terms.”
“It hurts their self-esteem”
The discussion also delved into the oft-forgotten effect that unemployment or underemployment can have on a person’s mental health as well as their sense of belonging in Finnish society.
“The workplace, also in Finland, is still a place where you can engage with people on a social level, so it can be quite isolating,” den Heten said.
Goswami added further that an individual’s sense of self-worth is often closely tied to their profession, especially as it is often one of the first things people ask when they meet someone for the first time.
“I think as human beings, we’re planners of our lives. And when you don’t have a plan, when you don’t know where your next paycheck is going to come from in six months, it puts people in a difficult position and it hurts their self-esteem, their self-worth,” she said.
Finland’s uncertain future
The podcast discussion comes in the wake of a stark warning, issued by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) earlier this week, that Finland needs to dramatically increase work-based immigration over the coming decade as the Nordic nation faces a deepening demographic crisis.
The business lobby also called on the Finnish government to reverse its hardline policies on immigration, which it said has created an unwelcoming environment for people who move to the “world’s happiest country“.
Amid population decline and looming labour shortages, Goswami said the current path Finland is on “disappoints and disheartens” her, especially as she is a self-proclaimed advocate of the importance of international talent to the future of the country.
“I think that Finland will fall behind other countries and immigrants. Highly educated immigrants are very smart people and they do know what is best for them and they will go to other countries where they feel they are more welcome,” she said, adding that she hopes “we don’t come to that”.
You can watch the full episode from the video below or on our YouTube channel.
Why is finding work in Finland so difficult for foreigners?