Change negotiations are currently in full swing. How common is it that I can't find a similar job as before? And how common is it that a new employer does not offer as much salary as the previous one, even though I have solid experience?

Our lawyer responds

Our advisory services receive a lot of contacts that reflect different phenomena in working life. Many of our members have the perception that the value of their contribution is determined by the salary that they have reached at their highest during their career. At the same time, it is expected that wages will steadily grow. However, it may come as a surprise to many that development is not always upward – and that salaries do not necessarily remain at the previous peak level.

Over the past couple of years, numerous change negotiations have been conducted at our members’ workplaces, leading to redundancies, and many have had to apply for a new job as a result of unemployment or the threat of unemployment. At best, changing jobs acts as a consistent continuum for career and salary development.

In particular, our members with a long career and high wages may have noticed in their job search that no jobs of a similar level are available. Moreover, new jobs may not be found at the previous salary level, which can also be surprising and challenging.

In the weak employment situation, there is a large supply of skilled labour on the labour market, which reduces the need for employers to compete for employees in the same way as during high employment. As a result, salary offers may remain significantly lower than before – even to the extent that the situation may feel unfair or even a scam.

Many people don't come to think that the price formation of work input is influenced by the law of supply and demand. Collective agreements, the general salary level of the workplace and the organisation’s salary structure determine what kind of salary is paid for each task.

Individually negotiated top wages are easily cut during a weak employment situation. This is part of the dynamics of the labour market. Once the economic situation improves, the labour market will recover and the situation will change. When there are few skilled applicants available, employers use a better salary offer than their competitors as a way to attract and retain the best talent