The number of people working in Finland edged up by 0.1 percent in March compared to the previous year — the first such growth in almost three years. That's according to an economic report issued by the pension group Ilmarinen on Thursday.

The biggest growth was in administrative and support services, where the number of employees increased by 2.2 percent from the previous year. There was also growth in the transport, hospitality, industrial and professional services sectors.

However, the construction sector continued to lose jobs, with a decrease of 1.7 percent from a year earlier.

YIT aims to cut costs by €18m

On Friday, the country's biggest construction firm, YIT, announced that it is cutting 95 jobs in Finland as part of a major restructuring effort.

YIT estimates that the personnel reductions and other efficiency measures will generate annual inflation-adjusted cost savings of 18 million euros by the end of 2027. Of this amount, some seven million is expected to be realised this year.

"Our new operating model further improves the efficiency of how we work, strengthens the company’s financial competitiveness, and ensures that customer needs are met consistently and effectively," CEO Heikki Vuorenmaa said in a press release.

Last year, YIT's turnover slipped to 1.76 million euros, down from 1.82m in 2024 when its revenue fell by almost 16 percent.

Last month, Yle reported that big construction companies are struggling to sell new flats as the housing market remains sluggish.