Job vacancies, Q2 2014

In line with the decrease in the number of job vacancies, the job vacancy rate decreased from 2.9 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2013 to 2.5 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2014. The percentage of job vacancies is measured as a percentage of the total number of jobs, i.e. the number of employees and vacancies.

Decrease in domestic trade and construction

A large part of the decrease in job vacancies took place in the private sector. In domestic trade there was a decrease of 3 600 job vacancies from the 2nd quarter of 2013 to the same quarter of 2014. Construction had a decrease of 1 100 job vacancies from the previous year. Administrative and support service activities had an increase of 0.2 percentage points. This industry had a higher percentage of job vacancies than the average for all industries combined; 6.2 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2014.

The percentage of job vacancies in real estate activities was reduced from 2.3 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2013 to 1.3 per cent in the same quarter of 2014. Residential care activities and social work activities without accommodation had a large number of vacancies in the 2nd quarter of 2014, with 7 400 and 5 800 respectively.

More vacancies in the EU

The job vacancy rate in the EU was 1.6 per cent in the 1st quarter of 2013, up 0.1 percentage points from the same quarter the previous year. The comparison with other countries is based on the 1st quarter of 2014, as the figures for the 2nd quarter of 2014 have not yet been published. In addition, agriculture, forestry and fishing are excluded.

The job vacancy rates between countries in the EEA vary considerably. In the 1st quarter of 2014, the job vacancy rate was 2.9 per cent in Germany, 1.9 per cent in Sweden and 0.5 per cent in Poland. As a comparison, Norway had a job vacancy rate of 2.4 in this quarter.