Unemployment security

The purpose of unemployment security is to compensate you for the financial losses caused by unemployment.

Register as an unemployed job seeker in order to receive unemployment security. You can register a job seeker in the ‘E-services' section of 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.

In the customer service model, as a job seeker, you will be supported right from the start of your job search in meetings that are personal and held regularly.

  • 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.

  • Are you wondering whether you need to notify the TE Office, the local government pilot, or the party paying your unemployment benefit of the start or end of your employment? The decisive 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.

  • 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 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.

  • 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 pay security.

  • 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.

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