About 2.1 million of Finland's five million inhabitants belong to the employed labour force. One-fifth of all employed labour force is employed by a local or joint authority. There are 320 local and 136 joint authorities in Finland and together they employ some 441 000 people.
In Finland, local authorities provide basic public services for their residents. They are responsible for child day care, education, health and medical care, and care for the elderly. They also provide water services, energy supply, waste management and environmental protection in municipalities.
The municipalities can produce services themselves, purchase services from the private sector, or produce them in co-operation with other municipalities.
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