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.
Unemployment security
The purpose of unemployment security is to compensate you for the financial losses caused by unemployment.
Notice: the content will change in early May
The general social security benefit will replace the labour market subsidy and the basic unemployment allowance as of 1 May. These benefits are paid on the basis of unemployment. This content page will be updated in accordance with the new legislation on Monday, 4 May.
Register as an unemployed job seeker in order to receive unemployment security. You can register a job seeker in the E-services at Job Market Finland. The different forms of unemployment security include earnings-related unemployment allowance, basic unemployment allowance, and labour market subsidy.
You can find employment services, like registering as a job seeker, in the 'E-services' section.
- Clarification requests and processing times related to labour policy statements
- Handling matters in the employment services
-
-
When you register as a job seeker, you will be asked about matters that affect your eligibility for unemployment security. When you receive unemployment benefits, you must notify us if your situation changes.
-
Are you wondering whether you need to notify the employment official or the party paying your unemployment benefit of the start or end of your employment? The deciding factor is whether the work lasts over or under two weeks.
-
When you work in an employment or public-service relationship, you are an employee. If your employment relationship ends and you become unemployed, you may be eligible for unemployment security.
-
If you are an entrepreneur or employ yourself in another way, the provisions on unemployment security are different for you than for a wage earner.
-
Are you under 25 years of age without a professional degree and have finished comprehensive school or upper secondary school? Conditions for unemployment security that apply to you partially differ from those of other job seekers. Your situation will change when you receive vocational training or take part in a service that promotes employment.
-
As a full-time student, you usually receive your income from financial aid for students. In some cases, you may be entitled to unemployment security during your studies.
-
If you have been laid off, you may be entitled to unemployment security during the lay-off.
-
If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, their family member, or you have a residence permit and become unemployed or are laid off, you may be entitled to unemployment security.
-
Formal or informal voluntary work does not affect your unemployment security if it is unpaid and ordinary work of general interest, and if you are ready to accept full-time work.
-
If your employer has been declared bankrupt or, for some other reason, cannot pay your salary, you can apply for unpaid pay or other payments as wage guarantee.
-
In a mandatory waiting period (karenssi), a job seeker temporarily loses the right to unemployment security because they have acted in an improper manner in terms of labour policy. In legislation, the waiting period is referred to as an unpaid time period. On this page you will find information on the most common causes of a mandatory waiting period.
This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for? Give feedback! (europa.eu)
Updated: