A growing number of summer workers in Finland are being hired on zero-hour contracts, according to a new survey by the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).
The results show that 8 percent of summer workers are on zero-hour contracts this year, up from 6 percent last summer.
Zero-hour contracts do not guarantee a set number of working hours. Instead, employees are called in as needed, often without regular or predictable schedules.
Kirsi Rasinaho, SAK’s specialist in education and employment policy, said in a statement that while the increase is small, the trend is cause for concern.
SAK's survey also found that 73 percent of respondents reported their workplaces would employ at least one summer worker this year. This is a marginal rise from 72 percent in 2023.
However, nearly one in four respondents said their workplaces were hiring fewer summer employees compared to last year.
The findings align with earlier data showing that less than a quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises planned to hire summer workers this year.
The survey included responses from around 950 shop stewards and occupational safety and health representatives, and was conducted during April and May.
HT
