Finland has a large number of postdoctoral researchers who are struggling to find work in an increasingly competitive labour market. Currently, there are around 1,400 unemployed PhDs, two-thirds of whom are long-term unemployed.

According to the Finnish National Agency for Education, people with doctoral degrees in fields such as the humanities, arts, natural sciences and engineering are particularly likely to be unemployed within a year of graduation.

Although PhD programs are designed to train researchers, only a third of them find jobs at university. The next biggest employers are companies and local governments, according to Yle News .

Suvi Liikkanen, Director of Career Services at the Loimu Federation of Environmental, Natural and Forestry Sciences Professionals in Finland, believes that employers should make better use of the expertise of postdoctoral researchers.

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Many unemployed PhDs feel unsupported by career services. Photo: Yle

The problem, says Liikkanen, is that companies often overlook the broad and versatile skills of PhDs, who sometimes don't know how to effectively showcase their abilities.

Companies often look for expertise in project management and leadership—skills not directly taught in PhD programs. Conversely, many PhDs are eager to contribute to their field of study and are not interested in other jobs.

Ineffective support employment services

Many unemployed PhDs feel inadequately supported by career services, according to a recent study by the Labor Economics Research Institute (Labore). The study surveyed 700 long-term unemployed PhDs.

Interviews show that career services lack the expertise to help PhDs find the right job, says Labore researcher Anna Idström.

Further frustrating for many is that the service often suggests jobs below their educational level. For example, a PhD with a large grant was offered a job as a park assistant cleaning up trash. A PhD with an immigrant background was directed to an integration course, while a former professor was offered a job as a theater cleaner.

Researcher Idström sees a potential opportunity in devolution of employment services to municipalities and local regions at the beginning of the year. PhD unemployment is particularly high in the Helsinki metropolitan area and large university cities, where better support services could be provided specifically for highly educated people.

According to Idström, some PhDs face discrimination when applying for jobs in the private sector and have to hide their PhDs to find work.

Are there too many PhDs in Finland?

Faced with unemployment among highly qualified people, unions have proposed limiting the number of PhDs, while experts question whether Finland is producing too many PhDs when universities have no plans to hire all of them.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government aims to increase the number of postdoctoral researchers and specialists in the workforce. In February, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture announced that it would allocate €255 million to universities between 2024 and 2027 to test new methods of education and train 1,000 new PhDs.

"We are not just training PhDs to work in universities. The goal is to increase the number of PhDs working in the private sector, for businesses. Other European countries make more use of the expertise of PhD-educated employees. We are falling behind and wasting potential," said Science and Culture Minister Sari Multala.

Loimu Career Services Director Liikkanen said the government's goals were contradictory, although she understood that innovation can only succeed with high levels of expertise.

“Higher qualifications are still valued in Finland and people are encouraged to learn as much as possible. But the reality is that after a long academic path, it can be difficult to find a suitable job,” says Ms Liikkanen.

However, overall, the unemployment rate for PhDs is lower than that of people with other educational qualifications.

“While this problem is not so serious in terms of numbers, it is a huge tragedy for individuals who feel unable to find a place in the labor market,” said Ms. Liikkanen.

Unemployed PhD shares his feelings

One example of an unemployed PhD is Elina Ahokangas, who received her PhD in geography, focusing on groundwater resources, from the University of Turku in 2019. She has been unemployed for a year now.

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Dr Elina Ahokangas has been unemployed for a year. Image: Yle

Ahokangas has been a postdoctoral fellow at the university for four years. A year ago, she completed a five-month temporary assignment as a groundwater specialist on a project with a regional economic development agency.

Ahokangas has applied for research grants, grants and jobs in both the private and public sectors, without success. Changing careers or learning new skills has not been easy for her.

"It's really stressful not being able to find a job with this level of expertise," she shared.

Ahokangas still hopes to find work this year, and has considered options such as consulting on groundwater issues or organizing training and teaching courses.

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