Working in public service offers a unique opportunity to influence society. More than 80,000 state employees across Finland carry out meaningful work in diverse roles that combine expertise, responsibility, and continuous growth.
The state administration maintains the rule of law and public safety, supports science, culture, and social security, and develops infrastructure, livelihoods, and a sustainable future. Our work also extends to the international level, where we contribute to Finland’s goals within the European Union and other international contexts.
In state administration, we invest in competence development, employee well-being, and ethically sustainable practices. Work environments evolve with technology, and working methods adapt to different life situations. Whether you're at the beginning of your career or an experienced professional, the state offers opportunities to grow, make an impact, and do meaningful work.
Read more about the Government’s personnel strategy
Working for Finland – Central Government Human Resources Strategy 2030
Skill development
Learning is part of every civil servant's job description, and it is made possible by adopting new practices and learning environments.
Adequate competence that meets a role's requirements is ensured at different career stages, and development needs are discussed with every employee regularly.
The state sector encourages internal mobility: employees have the opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience by temporarily transferring to other roles, either within their own agency or between different agencies. This flexible job rotation supports broad utilization of expertise and career development.
Some government occupations require qualifications from or further training at the state's own education units. These include positions with the police, criminal justice, security and the defence sector. Some state employers may also have their own training and internship programmes. The state-owned HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management provides training and development services to the central government.
Responsibility
We operate in public administration under the citizens' mandate and with public funds, for the benefit of society. That is why authorities, be it an agency or a civil servant, must act impartially, independently and fairly. We do high-quality work with good results and solid expertise. Good administration also includes customer-oriented service.
Responsibility forms the basis of our daily work, and we constantly monitor the achievement of our responsibility objectives. The sustainability reports of individual agencies are available on the State Treasury website
Work environment and well-being
Changing work environments and advancing technology make new working methods and jobs possible in central government as well. We often work at multiple locations and carry out hybrid work in roles whose nature allows us to do so. In many roles, the flexible working hours allow us to achieve a good work-life balance.
Our staff's work satisfaction survey highlights their satisfaction with interesting and challenging work tasks. Furthermore, our staff appreciate the development opportunities and job stability.
When working for the state, employees are treated equally in everything that the employer does, but it is particularly emphasised when hiring new employees and defining the terms of employment.
More information
What kinds of career paths can you take in government administration? What actually happens in government agencies? You’ll find answers in real career stories—told directly by the employees themselves!
Government administration consists of over 180 agencies and institutions operating in areas such as security, environment, economy, justice, transport, information management, and border control.
Explore career stories on the websites of individual agencies and get inspired by professionals from various fields. Learn how they ended up working for the government, what their daily work involves, and what kinds of opportunities different career paths can offer. Their experiences might just spark your next move.
Career stories can be found on the websites of various government organizations, including: the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), National Land Survey of Finland, Legal Aid Agency, Police, Border Guard, Criminal Sanctions Agency, Statistics Finland, Finnish Customs, Ministry of Finance, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, and Ministry of the Environment. Many other agencies and institutions also have their own career pages.
Find your field or a potential employer from the wide spectrum of government opportunities!