Unemployment security for persons under the age of 25

Labour market subsidy for persons under the age of 18

Compulsory education continues until you reach the age of 18 years.

You can receive labour market subsidy, if you are 17 years of age and you already have vocational qualifications. You cannot receive basic unemployment allowance, since work performed before the age of 18 years does not count towards the work requirement.

If you are 17 years of age and you have completed upper secondary school education, you can only receive labour market subsidy if you participate in employment promoting services.

 

Those under 25 are obligated to apply for training   

Are you under 25 and have had no education beyond comprehensive school or general upper secondary school? In order to be eligible for unemployment security, you must apply for at least two opportunities for education that will start in the following autumn, and for which you meet the requirements for admission. Studies may be

• education and training to complete a qualification that provide professional skills,
• general upper secondary studies of at least 150 credits, if you have only completed comprehensive school, or
• training at a folk high school or a sports education centre, the extent of which specified in the curriculum is at least 5 credits per month of study or 25 lessons per week, on average.

In your employment plan, you and your employment services specialist can agree on applying for

• studies aimed at completing an initial vocational qualification unit,
• preparatory training for education to complete a qualification,
• labour market training or other similar training acquired jointly with the employer, or
• preparatory training for immigrants aiming for higher education.

If you need special support in your studies due to an illness or disability, you can also agree on applying for preparatory training for work and independent living. You can also agree on meeting the obligation to apply in some other way if reasons related to matters such as your health, learning difficulties, or language skills, prevent you from applying for education

Prerequisites for receiving unemployment security  

If you are still an unemployed job seeker at the beginning of the autumn term (1 September), a service specialist in the employment services will inquire what training you have applied for.

You will lose your right to unemployment security from the beginning of the autumn term, i.e. from 1 September until further notice if 

• you have not applied for at least two educational opportunities without a valid reason, 
• you are not selected for training due to reasons attributable to you, or 
• if you refuse to accept training or do not start training without a valid reason.

If you quit your studies without a valid reason, you will lose your entitlement to unemployment security from the day that you quit.    

To receive unemployment security, you are not required to apply in the autumn for education that begins in the spring. However, if you do apply for education in the autumn and you get a place to study, but fail to start your studies in the spring without a valid reason, you will lose your right to unemployment security until further notice.   

Your entitlement to an unemployment security will be restored if one of the following conditions is met:

• you work for 21 calendar weeks in a job that is included in the work requirement
• you participate in employment promoting services for 21 calendar weeks
• you study on a full-time basis for 21 calendar weeks, or
• you work as a self-employed person or independent entrepreneur on a full-time basis for a total of 21 calendar weeks.

In addition, your entitlement to unemployment security will be restored and your obligation to apply for education will cease when

• you have completed a vocational qualification or higher education degree, or
• you reach your 25th birthday.

Kela can impose a mandatory waiting period for your labour market subsidy, during which you will not receive the labour market subsidy. The maximum length of the waiting period is 21 weeks. Kela will decide on the length of the waiting period.

Services that promote employment 

If you are not entitled to unemployment security due to not applying for education or training or due to discontinuing studies, you can still receive unemployment benefits while participating in services promoting employment.

Services promoting employment include rehabilitative work activities, job-search coaching, career coaching, work try-outs, and labour market training.