The construction industry needs foreign labor, and on average, about a fifth of the labor force on construction sites has a foreign background. Since a mobile workforce and long contract chains also expose the gray economy to mild phenomena and work-related exploitation, it is important to ensure that the rights of employees and the obligations of the employer are fulfilled. Foreign employees are subject to the same conditions and standards as Finnish employees.
A large number of foreign workers live in Finland permanently and also work in Finnish companies. Consequently, they are covered by Finnish taxation and social security and accumulate a pension fund.
When a company enters into an employment contract with a foreign employee for work to be performed in Finland, the employment relationship is subject to the same laws and working conditions as with a Finnish employee. Collective agreements in the construction industry are also applied to the employment relationships of both foreign and Finnish employees.
Construction sites are often also staffed by workers sent to Finland from abroad who are not employed by a Finnish company, but whose employer is a foreign company. However, it also applies to posted employees mostly collective agreements in the construction industry, with a few individual exceptions.
In its report published in the fall of 2023, the European Labor Authority (ELA) has estimated that approximately one in three employees sent to Finland works in the construction industry. According to statistics from the Swedish Pensions Agency, the authorities of other EU countries issued certificates for about 2022 posted workers to work in Finland in 45. Therefore, approximately 000 – 12 posted workers work in the construction industry.
The share of foreigners in the industry's workforce has stabilized
The share of foreigners in the construction industry has grown steadily over the past decade. Based on monthly declarations received by the Tax Administration, foreigners have made up approximately 20 percent of the workforce on construction sites in recent years. The share of foreign workers is highest in the building construction industry in the Uusimaa metropolitan area, where, according to RT's labor force survey, 37 percent of workers come from abroad.
Estonians represent the largest group of foreign workers in the construction industry. Several of them have settled in Finland permanently and many have also founded Finnish companies. According to statistics, the next largest number of foreign workers to Finland has come from the other Baltic countries, Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Romania.
Builders from Eastern European countries are seen in Finland especially in heavy construction work, such as reinforcement and facade work. A significant part of those doing painting and leveling work are Uzbeks.
In November 2023, the construction industry RT implemented the most recent one labor force survey, which shows the share of foreign labor at the sites of organized main contractors in house and infrastructure construction and in the construction product industry.
See also
- Checking the right to work at the site
- Posted workers
- Agreement with a foreign company - procurement checklist
- Rules of the game for the use of temporary labor in the construction industry (pdf)
- Memo list for a foreign employee
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