In an interview with YLE's English News, Simo Pinomaa, a senior economist at the Confederation of Finnish Industries, says he believes the free movement of labour within the EU means more foreign workers may come to Finland. He admits however that the change will not be significant.
In order to attract more foreigners to Finland, the Confederation says it has also directed its gaze towards India and Russia. However, Finland's harsh climate and difficult language means an influx of workers from these countries is not expected either.
Pinomaa maintains that money used to recruit foreign workers is well spent. He adds that the best bet is to entice former Finns to move back to Finland. “There are a lot of experts, such as nurses, who have left Finland and work in other countries. We have to be active to get them back to work in Finland,” says Pinomaa.
Many professions in Finland are said to suffer from labour shortages. In the next five years, about 3,000 nurses will retire in Finland.
