Lapland looks south for Santa and little helpers

Tallinn — A Finnish company seeking dwarves and Santas has gone looking for recruits in hard-up Estonia, hoping the offer of work at a time of recession will lure people to the home of Father Christmas in Lapland.

Candidates to become one of Santa’s dwarves at his base in northern Finland need a sense of humour, a positive view on life and be good with children, according to adverts placed on CV Keskus, one of Estonia’s most popular employment websites.

While Santa’s little helpers are not required to have experience, those wanting to play the man himself must have previously donned his red wardrobe.

Estonia, separated from Finland by the Baltic Sea, is one of the countries to have been worst hit in Europe by the downturn and its unemployment rate is now running at an eight-year high of 13.5 percent, according to recent figures.

AFP/Expatica