I have been laid off

You can register as a job seeker in the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland. If you become unemployed or are laid off, register as a job seeker as soon as possible.

You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.

Go to E-services

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.

You can identify yourself at Job Market Finland with online banking credentials, a mobile certificate, or a chip-based ID card. If you cannot identify yourself in these ways or you are not a citizen of an EU or EEA member state, you can register as a job seeker in your regional employment service office.

On Job Market Finland's regional pages you can read more about the transfer of employment services to municipalities and how you should handle matters in the future. The regional pages also contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Services

Advice and guidance on job search

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.

You can contact your service specialist via the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland. There you can also view all your open tasks.

In the ‘E-services' section of Job Market Finland you can

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.

Services

Unemployment security advice

More information

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When you are an unemployed job seeker, unemployment security financially ensures your ability to apply for work and improves your chances of entering or returning to the labour market.

You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.

Go to E-services

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. 

Handling official matters and registering as a job seeker

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.

Services

More information

This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for? Give feedback! (europa.eu)

If you have been laid off, you may be entitled to unemployment security during the lay-off.

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.

Once you know that you will lose your job, register as a job seeker via E-services no later than your first day of unemployment. After that, you can apply for unemployment security from Kela or your unemployment fund.

You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.

Go to E-services

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.

More information

Unemployment (suomi.fi)⁠

The rights and responsibilities of unemployed job seekers

Receiving unemployment benefits is conditional on many factors, which is why you have not only rights but also certain obligations.
Lay-offs

When you are laid off, there is an interruption in your work and wages. However, your employment relationship remains in place for the duration of your lay-off. Unemployment security can provide you with a livelihood while you are laid off.
Transition security from the employee’s perspective

If your employment is being terminated for production or financial reasons, transition security will help support you.
Joint service model for multisectoral support to promote employment

In the joint service model for multisectoral support to promote employment the employment official, the wellbeing services county, and Kela work together to offer help for your situation. You can receive social and health services, employment services, and rehabilitation services that are suitable for you and that promote your employment.

This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for? Give feedback! (europa.eu)

If your employment is being terminated for production or financial reasons, transition security will help support you.

Transition security is a service that helps you if your employer is forced to dismiss employees for production-related and economic reasons. The service provides you support for searching for a job and finding new employment as quickly as possible. The employment official helps laid-off and dismissed employees find new work or training in cooperation with employer representatives and staff or their representatives.

Know your rights and responsibilities when your employment relationship changes!

Employees and employers receive advice and support from the employment authority when an employment relationship is changed or terminated.

Target Group

Personal customers,
Businesses and non-government organizations

The employment authority gives employees and employers advice and support when an employment relationship is changed or terminated.

The employment authority helps laid-off and dismissed employees find new work or training in cooperation with employer representatives and staff or their representatives.

Advice and support for employees

You will receive advice and support from the employment authority for job seeking, re-employment and improving your professional competence.

Employees made redundant on production or financial grounds receive support for re-employment already during the period of notice. As a dismissed employee, you will be entitled to paid leave when you draw up an employment plan or participate in labour market training agreed upon in the plan, job-seeking or re-employment training.

Advice and support for employers

The employment authority provides employers with advice in situations where they need adjustment of activities. In most cases, situations refer to measures targeting personnel, such as part-time work, lay-offs or dismissals.

In the event of a change in the employment relationship, the employer has obligations that depend on the number of employees and the number of people to be dismissed or laid off.

The employer is obliged to notify the employment authorities of any redundancies if the redundancies concern at least ten employees. In such a change, the employer must make an action plan that promotes employment and explains how the job search and training of those made redundant will be supported.

The employer must also provide information on the extended change security of employees over 55 years of age.

To whom and on what terms

For employees

If you are dismissed from your job and need personal guidance or intend to apply for unemployment security, you must register as a jobseeker with the employment services in your area.

For employers

The service the employment authority offers to organisations in situations involving personnel changes is statutory if the organisation falls within the scope of the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings and is about to enter into negotiations leading to personnel changes. The company must notify the employment authority of the change situation.

The employment authority also provides guidance and advice in change situations to companies and other organisations other than those covered by the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings where employees have to be laid off or dismissed.

Do the following

Employees

If you wish to receive personal guidance and advice, register as a jobseeker with the employment services in your area already during your notice period. If you have a Finnish personal identity code, start your job search in the e-service. You can get advice on using the e-service from the employment services in your area.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code or cannot use the e-service, contact the employment services in your area.

Employers

If you need advice in situations of change or dismissal, contact the local employment authority.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Browse regional services

You can find more detailed information and instructions in the service description published by the employment authority in your area.

Advice and support during changes and dismissal⁠

In the event of dismissal, those aged 55 or over may receive extended transition security services that help them to re-employ quickly.

Target Group

Personal customers

If you are dismissed from your employment relationship on production or financial grounds and you have turned 55, you may be entitled to extended transition security. The extended transition security services will support your rapid re-employment.

Transition security for those aged 55 or over includes

transition security allowance,
transition security training and
extended employment leave of 5, 15 or 25 days.

The transition security allowance is, on average, equal to your one-month salary. The transition security allowance is paid by the institution paying the unemployment benefit, i.e. an unemployment fund or Kela.

The purpose of the transition security training is to promote your re-employment. The training increases your professional skills or supports your business operations, and its content meets your training needs. The training may last up to six months and is organised by the employment authority. Participating in the training is voluntary.

Under the Employment Contracts Act, your employer must inform you if you are entitled to transition security for those aged 55 or over. The obligation to provide information applies to all employers.

To whom and on what terms

As an employee, you are entitled to transition security for those aged 55 or over if

you have reached the age of 55 by the date of dismissal,
your employment contract has been terminated for production or financial reasons on or after 1 January 2023,
you have worked for the same employer for at least five years with interruptions of no more than 30 days and
you have registered as a jobseeker within 60 days of the date of dismissal.

Do the following

Register as a jobseeker with the employment authority in your area within 60 days of your dismissal.

If you have a Finnish personal identity code, start your job search in the e-service. You can get support for using the e-service from Job Market Finland's E-services advice.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code or cannot use the e-service, contact the employment services in your area.

The employment authority checks your right to transition security for people aged 55 or over and informs the payer of the unemployment benefit about your right.

Apply for the transition security allowance from your unemployment fund or from Kela, within three months of the termination of your employment relationship.

Agree on the transition security training together with the employment authority.

The Job Market Finland's regional pages contain contact information provided by employment officials.

Browse regional services

You can find more detailed information and instructions in the service description published by the employment authority in your area.

Extended transition security for employees aged 55 or over⁠

More information

This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for? Give feedback! (europa.eu)