Employers’ experience demands keep young Estonians out of work

Employers’ demands for previous work experience are blocking young people from entering the workforce in Estonia, while artificial intelligence is taking over some junior roles, a recent study reported by ERR has found.

Youth unemployment was 22.8 percent in the first quarter of 2026 and 22.4 percent in the second, compared with an overall unemployment rate of 7 percent, said Liina Maria Lepik, head of the Anthropology Centre. “Something is very wrong,” she said.

The qualitative study was conducted by the Anthropology Centre with consulting company Miltton. It drew on in-depth interviews with 13 young people aged 19 to 26 from different backgrounds, as well as an account by an Anthropology Centre intern documenting their own job search.

Participants described applying for jobs, the effects of the process on their daily lives and self-esteem, and the factors that helped or hindered them. “Requiring work experience before it can be gained is the main problem,” said Miltton psychologist Eva-Maria Kangro.

The study describes a cycle in which young people apply repeatedly but often receive only brief rejections, while employers become less responsive as applications pile up. Lepik said the problem had no single cause and reflected the combined effects of young people, employers, education and the state. The study also found that Estonia’s higher education system, and education more broadly, responds slowly to changes in society.

The researchers said employers could help break the cycle by offering paid internships, while schools and families could guide young people’s choices earlier.