Unemployment benefit

You can register as a job seeker at a TE Office if:

• you have a residence permit, which allows you to work in Finland,
• your residence permit does not limit what kinds of employers you can work for,

or

• you are a citizen of an EU member state, EEA member state or Switzerland,
• you are a family member of a citizen of an EU member state, EEA member state or Switzerland and you have a right of residence in Finland.

Read more about a family member's right of residence on the InfoFinland page Registration of an EU citizen's right of residence.

When you have registered as a job seeker at the TE Office, you are entitled to receive unemployment benefits if you

• are 18–64 years old
• are unemployed and registered as a job seeker at the TE Office
• are seeking full-time work
• are able to work and prepared to accept a job
• meet the conditions for earnings-related daily allowance, basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy.

In order to receive unemployment benefit, you have to seek work actively and be prepared to accept a job. You also have to make an employment or integration plan together with the TE Office or your municipality’s employment services. In addition, you need to participate in the services and steps that the TE Office or your municipality’s employment services offer to you.

Unemployment benefits include earnings-related daily unemployment allowance, basic unemployment allowance and labour market subsidy. Tax must be paid on all unemployment benefits.

You may receive earnings-related daily allowance if

• you are registered as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Office
• you are a member of a Finnish unemployment fund
• you fulfil the employment condition, i.e. you have worked for a sufficiently long period before becoming unemployed
• you have been a member of an unemployment fund for at least 26 weeks before becoming unemployed.

Earnings-related daily allowance is granted and paid by the unemployment fund whose member you are. The unemployment fund calculates the amount of earning-related daily allowance based on your salary before your unemployment.

Usually, you can receive earnings-related daily allowance for 400 days with the following exceptions:

• if you have been working in total for three years or less, you may receive earnings-related daily allowance for up to 300 days
• if you have turned 58 before the unemployment, you may receive earnings-related daily allowance for 500 days.

Read more about unemployment funds on the InfoFinland web page Trade Unions.

You may receive basic unemployment allowance if you are covered by Finnish social security on the basis of your permanent residence or on the basis of your work before becoming unemployed and

• you are registered as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Office
• you fulfil the employment condition, i.e. you have worked for a sufficiently long period before becoming unemployed
• you do not meet the conditions of the earnings-related daily allowance.

Basic unemployment allowance is granted and paid by Kela.

Usually, you can receive basic unemployment allowance for 400 days with the following exceptions:

• if you have been working in total for three years or less, you may receive basic unemployment allowance for up to 300 days
• if you have turned 58 before the unemployment, you may receive basic unemployment allowance for 500 days.

If you receive some other social benefits or work income while you are unemployed, your basic unemployment allowance will not be paid in full.

You may receive labour market subsidy if

• you are registered as an unemployed job seeker at the TE Office
• you are permanently residing in Finland
• you do not meet the employment condition, i.e. you have not worked for a sufficiently long period before becoming unemployed or you have already received earnings-related daily allowance or basic unemployment allowance for the maximum period of 500 days.

If you have a valid integration plan, you can apply for labour market subsidy for the period during which you participate in trainings and other activities that are included in your plan.

Further information on the integration plan is available from the InfoFinland page Integration into Finland.

Labour market subsidy is granted and paid by Kela. Labour market subsidy is a means-tested benefit. This means that, for example, social benefits and salary reduce the labour market subsidy.

If you are under 25, there may be conditions for being granted labour market subsidy, for example, a waiting period of five months. Please check the terms on Kela’s website.