Once you have registered as a jobseeker, we will check whether you are entitled to unemployment benefits, i.e. to financial support paid to you. We will issue a statement on your eligibility to the payer of the benefits.
If you need help in matters related to unemployment benefits, you can send a contact request to an employment services specialist in the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service).
How to apply for unemployment benefits
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First, register as a jobseeker
If you become unemployed or are laid off, register as a jobseeker as soon as possible.
Register as a jobseeker in the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service)
You can find instructions on how to register on the Job Market Finland website(Link leads to external service).
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Apply for unemployment benefits
Unemployment benefits are applied for directly from the payer, i.e. Kela or your unemployment fund. Unemployment benefits include:
- earnings adjusted daily allowance paid by unemployment funds(Link leads to external service)
- basic unemployment allowance and labour market subsidy paid by Kela.(Link leads to external service)
You are entitled to earnings adjusted daily allowance or basic unemployment allowance if you were employed and meet the work requirement(Link leads to external service) at the time of becoming unemployed. You can receive labour market subsidy if you do not meet the work requirement.
Apply for unemployment benefits from your first day of unemployment. After registering as a jobseeker, an Employment Services specialist will check whether the conditions for unemployment benefits are met for you.
The specialist will issue a statement on your eligibility for unemployment benefits to the payer of the benefits. The payer then decides on the basis of your situation and the statement whether you can receive unemployment benefits and the amount of the benefit.
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Respond to any clarification requests
For the purpose of issuing a statement to the payer of the benefits, you may be asked for further clarifications to which you will have to respond.
If you receive a clarification request, reply within the specified time limit in the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service). Information on what you need to provide and what kinds of attachments you should submit is given in the e-services.
Reply to the clarification request as accurately as possible, providing all the requested details. You should respond to the request for clarification as soon as possible so that your unemployment benefit can be processed further.
If you do not respond to the request for clarification within the deadline, we will process the statement without your clarification. In this case, we usually have to issue a negative statement to the payer and you will not be entitled to unemployment benefits.
Frequently asked questions about unemployment benefits
We may ask you to provide additional information, missing information or a document, certificate or written description of your situation. We may ask for clarification
- if you have not implemented your employment plan or have neglected the agreed measures
- for the reasons why your employment was terminated
- about starting studies or your current studies
- applying for study places if you are under the age of 25
- on missing documents, such as references or study reports
- on starting a business or being involved in a business.
Once you have provided us with all the necessary information, we will make a statement about your situation as soon as possible.
The payer can only make a decision about your unemployment benefit after receiving the statement. You can find information on the payer's processing times on the website of Kela or your unemployment fund.
You cannot separately appeal against the statement issued by the Employment Services. The statement can, however, be re-processed if you have new information that may be relevant, such as a missing certificate or other attachment.
Submit a contact request in the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service).
Appealing instructions on decisions made by Kela and the unemployment funds are in the decision you receive from the payer.
According to legislation, an unemployed jobseeker has certain rights and obligations, the purpose of which is to support employment. The unemployment benefit may be interrupted if the obligations are not met.
Learn more about the rights and responsibilities of jobseekers
You may be subject to a mandatory waiting period (karenssi)(Link leads to external service), if you do not fulfil your obligations. This means that during the mandatory waiting period, or unpaid time period, you will not receive unemployment benefits.
The measures will be progressively tightened if the obligations are repeatedly neglected over a period of 12 months.
- First time: You will receive a reminder that states e.g. that you have not fulfilled a certain obligation. The reminder does not affect the payment of your unemployment benefits.
- Second time: You will be put on a 7-day waiting period, during which you will not receive unemployment benefits.
- Third time: You will be put on a 14-day waiting period, during which you will not receive unemployment benefits.
- Fourth time: You will lose your right to unemployment benefits until further notice.
Your right to unemployment benefits will be restored after a total of, at least, 12 calendar weeks
- in work that meets the conditions of the work requirement
- in certain services that promote employment
- in voluntary full-time studies
- of becoming a full-time entrepreneur or working as an independent professional.
If you resign or refuse to work for no valid reason, or if you are given notice for reasons attributable to you, you may be put on a mandatory waiting period of 30–45 days.
You can receive unemployment benefits for the first four months if you start a new business while you are unemployed.
If you start a full-time business, you can choose whether to take advantage of this four-month period of unemployment benefit or apply immediately for the start-up grant to get your business off the ground.
Let the employment services know if you are interested in entrepreneurship and plan to work as an entrepreneur for more than two weeks.
You should also let the Employment Services know if you charge for your work through invoicing services, working as a so-called light entrepreneur. Users of invoicing services are covered by the Self-Employed Persons' Pension Act (YEL) and they are treated as entrepreneurs.
Report to employment services via the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service)