What’s new in the employment area of Jakobstad region?
- News
On 1 January 2025, employment and business services were transferred from central government to employment areas formed by municipalities. The reform created 45 employment areas in Finland. In this news item, we describe how the reform has affected the employment area of Jakobstad region.
The operations of the employment area of Jakobstad region were launched with moderate issues due to initial challenges with the systems. Customers have hardly noticed the change. According to the personnel in the employment area, basic work, i.e., encounters with the customers, has not changed.
- It remains at the core of our work, says Pia Fraktman, Director of Employment and Economic Affairs.
At times, the region has faced challenges with reaching customers by telephone, as people have answered poorly to unknown numbers. Telephone services in the region are currently being developed so that caller IDs can be displayed for calls. We wish to better reach our customers as a result of this change.
Knowledge of the area is an advantage in small regions
In a small region, maintaining knowledge of the area is easier, and we now encounter more customers. However, the available services are still limited as procurements are still put out to tender and operating methods are reformed.
- A limited service offering poses challenges to customer guidance, as there are fewer activation measures available in the early stages, Fraktman summarises the message received from employees.
Employment services specialists wonder how employment will be affected by the cuts made to different services and the already poor general economic situation of households. Although there have been challenges, specialists find their work meaningful and try to adopt a positive attitude toward the future.
Job Market Finland is a key communication channel
Job Market Finland is perceived as somewhat difficult to understand by the specialists in the employment area, and customers have also given similar feedback. User experiences would help us make the service easier to use.
The construction of the Job Market Finland regional pages is in its early stages in the employment area, but we are actively working toward completing them. The employment area of Jakobstad region will not have its own separate website. Instead, the municipality’s website and Job Market Finland’s regional website will be available.
- Job Market Finland is a tool granted to employment areas, which is why it has been selected as the primary channel in addition to the municipalities’ own websites, Fraktman concludes.
This interview is a part of the What’s new in the employment area? series. In the interviews, experts from different employment areas describe how the employment service reform has progressed in municipalities.