The popularity of vocational education in the construction sector has suffered from the weak economic situation in the past couple of years. However, by the time young people starting their studies now graduate, the economy has already recovered, and there are jobs available in the sector well into the future.
Between 2023 and 2038, more than a third of the construction workforce will retire, and the small age groups that will reach working age in the 2030s will not be enough to replace those who retire. One solution is foreign labor, the share of which on Finnish construction sites has stabilized at an average of one fifth. However, construction is a labor shortage sector at the EU level, and competition for professionals is intensifying in different countries.
In Finland, there is a shortage of construction workers as well as white-collar workers. Technological developments are creating enormous new opportunities and new types of work, including in construction. However, artificial intelligence does not install pipes or build foundations.
Construction is a local activity, and work does not migrate abroad. Urbanization maintains the need for new construction, especially in growth centers. At the same time, a significant repair deficit in both real estate and infrastructure creates pressure for labor-intensive renovation construction.
Green transition investment intentions have already grown to EUR 300 billion, according to EK's project window monitoring. These investments, when implemented, require construction, for example, when new energy production or data centers are built. The construction sector is a key player in the green transition, also in reducing emissions and environmental impacts.
We must encourage young people to enter the sector so that there will continue to be enough experts to build Finland. Forward-looking companies, in turn, offer summer jobs and internships even when the sector is in a downturn. Almost a fifth of the construction companies that responded to EK's summer job survey said they would increase summer jobs compared to last year.
The article was published in the opinion column of Helsingin Sanomat on February 17, 2026..
Saku Lehtinen
Leading expert
saku.lehtinen@rt.fi +358 40 041 2057Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries (CFCI)
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