Finnish public broadcaster Yle to cut staff by 309

Finnish public broadcaster Yle will cut 309 jobs, with 156 employees laid off, the broadcaster's website reported.

Thanks to retirements and other changes, the number of Yle employees will be reduced by an additional 153 people. Pension incentives were offered during the negotiations.

Currently, Yle employs about 3,000 people. The company also employs temporary workers and freelancers.

The decision to reduce staff was made by a parliamentary working group in September 2024, and negotiations on this issue have now finally been concluded. The negotiations covered 1,798 employees with permanent employment contracts. It was initially reported that they could lead to the dismissal of up to 375 people.

The financial plan for 2025-2027, drawn up by the parliamentary working group, provides for savings of 66 million euros. Yle's funding will be reduced due to an increase in value-added tax and a freeze on indexation. Indexation has been frozen for three years, amounting to 47 million euros at the 2027 level.

As the broadcaster notes, this is the largest funding cut in Yle's history, leading to the largest restructuring negotiations in Finnish media history.

The head of the Finnish Journalists' Union's advocacy group, Petri Savolainen, noted that Finnish democracy depends on national media, and such a significant reduction in staff “significantly limits the ability of Finns to receive information.”

«Of particular concern is the extent to which the coverage of voices from different regions and areas of Finland in Yleisradio's content will be reduced, — remarked Savolainen.