A majority of Estonians oppose foreign labour, according to a Norstat poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. The survey shows that 71% of respondents oppose and 19% support bringing in labour from outside the EU, while 52% oppose and 37% support labour from other EU countries. Also, 76% of respondents think that preference should be given to EU citizens over people from third countries, while 65% prefer automation over foreign labour. Moreover, 85% of respondents insist that foreign workers be subject to the same language and qualification requirements as local employees. As to the stated reasons for these attitudes, 53% fear that foreign labour negatively affects their wages, and 47% that foreign labour makes it harder for them to find work. Furthermore, 58% regard labour from third countries as a potential security threat. Norstat polled 1,000 Estonian citizens aged 18 and older in March 2026.
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