Work in Estonia study on the recruitment and need for foreign specialists in the Estonian industrial sector

Initiated by the Work in Estonia programme and carried out by the Institute of Baltic Studies, this research focused on understanding the readiness of Estonian manufacturing industry companies (especially in machinery, metal, and electronics sectors) to recruit foreign specialists from abroad, their actual labour needs, and the main challenges related to employing foreign specialists. Based on the findings, Work in Estonia will be able to choose focus directions and activities that would help companies reduce the labour shortage in the manufacturing sector and provide the necessary support for recruiting foreigners, thereby better supporting Estonian entrepreneurs in engaging higher value-adding foreign specialists and easing the shortage of qualified labour in Estonia.

The study used a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, and the report consists of five main parts: an overview of the companies’ experience with foreign recruitment, an analysis of companies with and without foreign recruitment experience, the analysis of the recruitment plans of companies as well as the supporting and hindering factors. The research report concludes with a summary of findings and recommendations.