The results show that after a difficult and uncertain year of coronavirus, optimism is emerging in many lines of business that have suffered from the epidemic. In those same lines of business, however, many respondents also fear that the employment situation will deteriorate further which indicates continuing uncertainty e.g. due to new coronavirus variants.

Those working in the building industry as well as employees in tourism, accommodation and restaurant industry have stronger belief than other respondents that their employment situation will improve during the next 1–6 months. Belief in a positive near future is strongest in the building industry where 29% of the respondents believe that the employment situation will improve during the next few months and only 9% expect it to worsen.

In the tourism, accommodation and restaurant industry the belief in positive development is at almost as high level (27%), but slightly more divided: 12% of the employees in the industry believe that the situation will become worse. 23% of those working at culture, art and entertainment believe in positive development of the employment situation and 13% expect it to weaken. So there is faith in the future both in the tourism, accommodation and restaurant industry and the culture branch, but it is considerably more divided compared to the building industry. That is probably explained at least by the persistently continuing coronavirus situation which will extend the restrictions in those industries in particular.

Of those in different positions on the labour market, fully laid off people have the strongest belief in the future; as much as 45% of them believe that their own employment situation will improve and only 10%