Opinion: Estonian youth must learn to manage their own expectations

Estonia ranks among Europe's top countries for overall employment, yet paradoxically also leads in youth unemployment. Ain Käpp, a member of the Estonian Employers' Confederation council, argues that solving this contradiction requires both young people and employers to adjust their approach.

Estonia finds itself in a curious contradiction: it is among the European leaders in overall employment, yet simultaneously ranks at the top for youth unemployment. Ain Käpp, council member of the Estonian Employers' Confederation and head of the labour market working group, argues that the key to resolving this paradox lies with young people themselves — and with the employers who hire them.

The expectations gap

One of the central problems, according to Käpp, is that many young Estonians enter the labour market with expectations that do not match what employers can realistically offer at the entry level. Rather than viewing a first job as a stepping stone and a learning opportunity, many young people expect immediate high salaries, flexible conditions, and meaningful work from day one — conditions that take years to earn in most industries.

This mismatch creates a frustrating cycle. Young candidates are overlooked or choose to wait for better offers, while employers struggle to fill positions that could serve as valuable starting points for careers. Both sides end up worse off, and the national unemployment statistics reflect this standoff.

What employers must also do

Käpp does not place the entire burden on youth alone. Employers, too, must reconsider how they communicate job opportunities, how they structure entry-level roles, and whether they invest meaningfully in onboarding and mentorship. A young person willing to learn is an asset — but only if the workplace provides the conditions for that learning to happen.

The opinion piece serves as a broader call to action: for schools and career counsellors to better prepare young people for realistic labour market conditions, for employers to create genuine pathways into working life, and for young Estonians to see expectation management not as compromise, but as a strategic life skill.