25,000 Estonian residents work abroad

TALLINN - According to a report by Statistics Estonia, almost 25,000 permanent residents in Estonia work abroad, writes Estonian Public Broadcasting.

Those working abroad made up 4.4 percent of all employed individuals in the Estonian job market.

“Compared to the previous census, one of the biggest changes has occurred in the number of residents working abroad. This number has increased almost tenfold since the previous census,” said Diana Beltadze, project manager of the 2011 population census.

According to the 2000 census, just 2,646 residents were working abroad.

According to the stats, in 2011, 15,140 residents worked in Finland, 1,872 in Norway, 1,532 in Sweden, 1,357 in Russia, 732 in the UK and 616 in Germany.

“61 percent of the Estonian residents working abroad work in Finland. The share of residents working in Finland is the biggest in Jogeva, Viljandi and Parnu counties,” said Beltadze.

Russia is an important labor migration destination for residents of Ida-Viru county, especially Narva, while Sweden is a major destination mainly for the population of Hiiumaa.