You can register as a job seeker before your unemployment or lay-off begins, but do so no later than on your first day of unemployment, because you can only receive unemployment benefits from the registration date.

If you are applying for unemployment security, after starting your job search, you will receive a labour policy statement on your right to unemployment security. You can see the statements given to you in the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland. Unemployment benefits are only paid for the time you are an unemployed job seeker. Your entitlement to unemployment security is influenced by many factors. Read more about them in the 'Unemployment security' section.

If you have participated in labour market training or been employed on a pay subsidy and become unemployed again, register as a job seeker.

Agree on further services with your assigned service specialist

When you start your job search, you will agree with your assigned employment service specialist on how your customer relationship will progress with employment services.

• view your employment plan that entails your agreed job search obligations, i.e. tasks that promote your employment, and mark them as completed by the due dates,
• view your own information related to your unemployment security, such as statements and open requests for clarification,
• update the changes in your job search situation or inform of employment,
• maintain your contact information, and
• submit a contact request to your service specialist.

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A lay-off means the temporary suspension of work and payment of wages based on a decision made or initiated by the employer. However, the employment relationship otherwise remains in force.

A laid off employee is either suspended from work entirely or has shortened working hours. Lay-offs can be full-time or part-time. Being laid off full-time means you no longer have any work obligations. When you are laid off part-time, your daily or weekly working hours are shortened.

If you are laid off, register as a job seeker in the E-services at Job Market Finland no later than the first day of your lay-off period. You can register before your lay-off period or shortened work hours begin. You will receive an unemployment benefit for the duration of your lay-off if you have registered as a job seeker and the other requirements for receiving benefits are met. The employment official will arrange an initial interview for you, if possible, within five working days of the start of your job search.

You can be laid off from your job indefinitely or for a fixed period. If you are laid off for a fixed period of no more than three months, you will likely not need personal service from the employment official. However, you are still free to contact employment services if you want personal service.

If your lay-off has lasted more than three months, the employment official will arrange a job search discussion with you. Your job search obligation begins after a job search discussion has been organised for you and you have been laid off for three months.

The discussion will not be held if your lay-off is about to end within a month of when the job search discussion is to be held.

If you have been laid off part-time, the same principles apply to you as for part-time job seekers, but your obligation to look for work only begins three months after the first job search discussion.

Obligation to seek work of laid off persons

If you are laid off entirely, your employment plan will include a three-month review period after the start of the job search obligation, during which you will have to apply for four job opportunities. This means that if you are completely laid off, you will have to apply for four job opportunities within the month, because a person who is completely laid off is considered unemployed from the perspective of unemployment security.

If you have been laid off part-time, your employment plan will include one three-month review period after the start of the job search obligation, during which you must apply for one job opportunity. In the case of part-time lay-off, you must therefore apply for one job during the three-month period.

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Register as a job seeker and start your job search on your first day of unemployment so that you can receive unemployment security right from the beginning of your unemployment.

After registering you will receive a labour policy statement stating whether you are eligible for unemployment security. If you are applying for unemployment security, you may receive a request for additional information before the statement is issued. 

You may receive an increase in your unemployment security if you participate in services promoting employment. You must agree on participation in the service with your expert either in the employment plan or an equivalent plan.

Unemployment security is paid by either the unemployment fund or Kela

When applying for unemployment security, first find out whether your unemployment benefit is paid by the unemployment fund or Kela. Various forms of unemployment benefits include earnings-related allowance, basic unemployment allowance, and labour market subsidy.

• If you are a member of an unemployment fund through your trade union, for example, apply for earnings-related unemployment allowance from your fund.
• If you are not a member of an unemployment fund, apply for basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy from Kela.

You should apply for unemployment security from an unemployment fund or Kela, even if the processing of an additional clarification request with the employment official is in progress. This way you avoid an extra delay in receiving an unemployment benefit when it is determined that you are entitled to unemployment security. You can find out on the unemployment fund's or Kela's website how long after the start of your unemployment you can submit an application for unemployment security.

If you have any questions about unemployment security, the specialists at the unemployment security helpline will assist you.

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If you are laid off, register as a job seeker so that the employment official can make a labour policy statement on your right to unemployment security. You can then apply for unemployment security either from the unemployment fund or Kela. For more detailed instructions on registering as a job seeker and applying for unemployment security, see the 'How to apply for unemployment security' page. 

Your lay-off must be implemented by the employer due to financial or production-related reasons. Being laid-off for disciplininary reasons does not give you the right to unemployment benefits.

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Report, for example, when

• you start working, your work ends, or your working hours change,
• you engage in business activities for more than two weeks (in addition to your own business activity, work in a family-owned enterprise can also be considered as business activities),  
• you work and receive compensation other than as a wage earner or entrepreneur, for example as an informal carer,  
• you start studying,
• your nationality or your residence permit changes,   
• you discontinue the service promoting employment (notify either the unemployment fund or Kela of individual absences in the application for daily allowance or labour market subsidy), or  
• your contact information changes.  

Please note that the most common changes that you must notify to the employment official are listed above. If you are unsure about how the change in your situation affects your right to unemployment security, you should contact the employment official or the unemployment security helpline. A specialist will give you more detailed instructions on how to report the start and end of employment when you take on temporary work on a regular basis, for example.

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The pay security system secures your ability to receive pay and other payments if your employer is unable to pay them. You will be compensated as pay security for payments once the grounds and amount of them have been determined.

As a private customer, you can apply for pay security in the Local Government E-services. You will need online banking codes, a mobile certificate, or an identity card with a chip suitable for identification. Instructions for applying for pay security can be found on the KEHA Centre's website.

As a job seeker, employment services will offer you support right from the start of your job search in meetings that are personal and held regularly.

Read tips on how to search for jobs, and study the instructions at Job Market Finland. Log in and create your own job applicant profile. This will help you get job recommendations that are right for you, and employers can also contact you.

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Extended transition security for job seekers aged 55 or over

Extended transition security is intended for you if you are at least 55 years old. The purpose of the service is to promote your speedy employment and improve your position on the labor market.

You are entitled to transition security for job seekers aged 55 or over, if

• you have turned 55 at the latest on the day of dismissal from work,
• your employment contract has been terminated for production-economic reasons on or after 1 January 2023,
• you have been employed by the employer who has dismissed you for at least five years with no more than 30 day interruptions, and
• you have registered as a job seeker within 60 days of dismissal.

Transition security for job seekers aged 55 or over includes

• transition security allowance,
• transition security training,
• employment leave, which is 5, 15, or 25 days long.

The amount of the transition security allowance corresponds to your average monthly salary. Its amount is calculated based on the salary your employer has paid you during the 12 calendar months preceding the date of termination. Lay-offs and other unpaid absences or partially paid periods prior to termination may reduce the amount of restructuring protection allowance. Remember to apply for transition security allowance from your own unemployment fund or from Kela no later than three months after the end of your employment.

Transition security training is a service intended for a person aged 55 or over who has been terminated from their employment. It must be organised and granted by the employment official after receiving information from the employer about the person's termination.

You may be entitled to an employment leave if you are facing dismissal due to either production-related or financial reasons, or in connection with a reorganisation process and your employer fulfills the job offer and training obligations. You can also negotiate an employment leave with your employer if your dismissal is a result of bankruptcy. During your notice period, you can take an employment leave, during which you have the right to create an employment plan in cooperation with employment services. During the employment leave, you are also entitled to participate in labour market policy adult education, training programmes, internships, and on-the-job learning, if these actions are agreed upon in the employment leave contract.

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