Finland has a large number of postdoctoral researchers struggling to secure employment in an increasingly difficult job market. There are currently 1,400 unemployed PhD holders in Finland, with two-thirds being long-term unemployed.
According to the Finnish National Agency for Education, those with PhDs in fields such as the humanities, arts, natural sciences, and engineering are particularly prone to unemployment one year after graduation.
While a doctoral degree is designed to train researchers, only one-third of them find work in universities. The next largest employers are companies and municipalities.
Employers should better leverage the expertise of postdoctoral researchers, according to Suvi Liikkanen, Career Services Director at the Union of Professionals in Natural, Environmental and Forestry Sciences Loimu.
The issue, Liikkanen said, is that companies often overlook the broad, transferable skills of PhD holders, who, in turn, sometimes struggle to effectively showcase their own abilities.
Companies often seek expertise in project management and leadership, skills that are not directly taught in PhD programs. On the other hand, many doctoral graduates have a strong desire to work specifically in their research field and are not attracted to other types of work.
Employment services struggle to help
According to a recent study by the Labour Institute for Economic Research (Labore), many unemployed PhDs feel unsupported by the available employment services. The study surveyed 700 long-term unemployed PhD graduates.
Interviews revealed that employment services lack the expertise to assist, Labore researcher Anna Idström said.
Frustration is further compounded by the fact that employment services often suggest jobs far below their level of education, she added.
For instance, a PhD graduate with significant funding was offered a job as a park assistant cleaning dog waste. A PhD with an immigrant background was directed to an integration course and an ex-professor was offered a job as a theatre janitor.
Idström sees a potential opportunity in the transfer of employment services to municipalities at the beginning of the year. PhD unemployment is particularly high in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and large university cities, where it is possible to tailor better services for highly educated individuals.
According to Idström, PhD graduates experience discrimination when applying for jobs in the private sector, leading some to conceal their doctoral degrees in order to secure employment.
Too many PhD holders in Finland?
Some unemployed PhDs and trade unions have called for a limit on the number of PhDs, with experts questioning whether Finland is training too many when universities have no intention of hiring them all.
At the same time, the government of Petteri Orpo (NCP) aims to increase the number of postdoctoral researchers and experts in the workforce. In February, the Ministry of Education and Culture announced it would allocate 255 million euros to universities between 2024 and 2027 to pilot new approaches in doctoral education and train 1,000 new PhDs.
"We don't just train doctoral graduates to work for universities. Our aim is to increase the number of people with a doctorate working in the private sector, for businesses. Other European countries make more extensive use of the expertise of employees with doctoral education. We're lagging behind and wasting potential," said Minister of Science and Culture Sari Multala (NCP) in a statement.
Loimu Career Services Director Liikkanen sees a contradiction in the government’s goal, even though she fully understands that innovations thrive from higher expertise.
"In Finland, the idea has been that it's worth educating oneself as much as possible. In reality, it can end up that you take a long academic career path and then face challenges finding a job," Liikkanen said.
Overall, however, PhDs are doing quite well: the unemployment rate for PhDs is comparatively lower than for those with other levels of education.
"While the issue may not be large in terms of numbers, it’s a significant tragedy for the individual who feels unable to find their place in the job market," Liikkanen said.
A case in point is Elina Ahokangas, who earned her PhD in geography, focusing on groundwater, at the University of Turku in 2019. She has now been unemployed for a year.
Ahokangas conducted postdoctoral research at the university for four years. A year ago, she finished a five-month temporary position as a groundwater expert working on a project at a regional economic development agency.
Ahokangas has applied for research funding, grants, and jobs in both the private and public sectors, but without success. However, the barrier to retraining remains significant.
"It’s pretty intense if you can’t find a job with this level of expertise," she said.
Ahokangas remains hopeful of finding a job this year, and has considered options such as consulting on groundwater issues or offering training and lectures.
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