10,000 companies by immigrant entrepreneurs in Finland

A study from Suomen Yrittäjät shows that from 2013 to 2016, companies owned by immigrant entrepreneurs have risen for about 9% even though the total number of companies have declined.

There are 283,805 companies in Finland excluding agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries. Microenterprises, those that operate with fewer than 10 people, seem to dominate the structure of established businesses, with an astounding 93.4%.

Immigrant-owned companies generate around 3.5 billion euros in net sales and employed about 30,000 employees. They are also more likely to hire foreigner employees.

The report about Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Finland in 2018, describes that immigrant entrepreneurs has increased but also at the same level as the original population.

The income of the original population is higher but the gap narrows when the industry is taken into account.

The industry with the largest share of immigrant entrepreneurs is the restaurant businesses, and in second place are those that offer personal services such as hairdressers and beauty salons.

The report also shows that the difficulties in accessing the labor markets increase the entrepreneurial spirit of the immigrants.

A foreigner who moves permanently to Finland will face challenges in finding jobs, adapting to the new environment and culture, and learning one of the most difficult languages in the world. Being an entrepreneur opens the door to more opportunities of adapting to Finnish society. At the same time, immigrants who already know the language and culture also consider entrepreneurship for better income, career advancement, and self-sustainability.

If you want to know more about becoming an entrepreneur in Finland, you can visit these sites:

www.suomenyrittäjät.fi

www.prh.fi

www.uusyrityskeskus.fi

Mae N.