How to apply for unemployment benefits
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.
Unemployment benefits are not paid automatically. Instead, you must apply for them yourself with Kela or your own unemployment fund.
The application process is described here.
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Register as a jobseeker
If you become unemployed or are laid off, register as a jobseeker as soon as possible. You can register even before you become unemployed. The unemployment benefit can only be paid for the period during which your job search is valid.
Register as a jobseeker in the Job Market Finland E-services(Link leads to external service)
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Apply for the unemployment benefit through Kela or your unemployment fund
Unemployment benefits are applied for directly from the payer, i.e. Kela or your unemployment fund.
Check the instructions from Kela or your unemployment fund for information on when to send the first application and which information to include in it.
If you are a member of an unemployment fund and meet the eligibility criteria for earnings-related unemployment allowance, apply for it from your unemployment fund.
Find out more about the earnings-related unemployment allowance(Link leads to external service)
If you are not entitled or your entitlement to an earnings-related unemployment allowance has expired, you can apply for the general social security benefit from Kela. The general social security benefit replaced the labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance previously paid by Kela on 1 May 2026.
Read more about the general social security benefit (Link leads to external service)
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The Employment Services will assess your entitlement to unemployment benefit
Once you have registered as a jobseeker, the Employment Services will assess whether you meet the labour policy criteria for the unemployment benefit.
The Employment Services will issue a labour policy statement on the matter to Kela or your unemployment insurance fund.
The benefit provider will make the final decision on whether you are eligible for unemployment benefit and how much you will receive.
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Respond to any clarification requests
We may need further information about your situation before issuing the labour policy statement. In this case, you will receive a clarification request in Job Market Finland’s E-services.
A request for clarification does not automatically mean that there is a problem with your unemployment benefit. We simply need further information so that we can assess your situation.
Respond to the request for clarification by the defined deadline. In the E-services you can see what information and attachments you are asked to provide.
If you do not respond by the deadline, the matter may have to be resolved on the basis of the information available. This may affect your entitlement to unemployment benefit.
Go to Job Market Finland’s E-services (Link leads to external service)
What types of matters can the clarification request concern?
We may ask you for further information regarding the following, for example
- the termination of your employment
- your studies
- your business activities
- the work you have carried out via an invoicing service
- self-employment
- the implementation of your job search or your employment plan
- missing documents or certificates
- applying for education, if you are under 25 and under the obligation to seek education.
Read the request for clarification carefully and answer the questions asked. Attach the requested documents.
Unemployment security for persons under the age of 25
If you are under the age of 25 and do not have upper secondary education or education that leads to a qualification and provides vocational skills, your unemployment security is subject to special conditions.
For example, you are obliged to apply for at least two places of study starting the following autumn for which you meet the entry requirements.
Applying for a place of study in the autumn is not a condition for receiving unemployment benefit if the studies do not start until spring. However, if you do apply for a place of study and are accepted as a student, you must start your studies. If you fail to start your studies without a valid reason, you may lose your entitlement to unemployment benefit for the time being.
You can be considered eligible to unemployment benefit once you have done one of the following for a total of 21 calendar weeks:
- carried out work that meets the conditions of the work requirement
- participated in services to promote employment
- studied full-time or
- worked full-time as an entrepreneur or been self-employed.
Your entitlement to the unemployment benefit is reinstated and your obligation to apply for education also ceases when you have completed a vocational qualification or a higher education degree, or when you reach the age of 25.
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
- on work carried out using an invoicing service
- on artistic activities (self-employment).
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.
Failing to fulfil even one obligation will result in the termination of your jobseeker status and the imposition of a mandatory waiting period without benefits.
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 new system of sanctions regarding unemployment security is two-tiered:
- Failing to fulfil your obligations even once will result in the termination of your jobseeker status and a seven-day mandatory waiting period without benefits.
- Failing to fulfil your obligations for a second time or repeatedly will result in the imposition of a six-week work obligation.
Restart your job search by registering as a jobseeker with Employment Services.
If you are unable to start your job search in Job Market Finland’s E-services, you must start your job search by visiting a service point of Helsinki Employment Services.
The work obligation means that your entitlement to unemployment benefits will be restored after you have spent at least six calendar weeks:
- in work that meets the conditions of the work requirement
- in certain services that promote employment
- in voluntary full-time studies
- as a full-time entrepreneur or 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 subject to a mandatory waiting period without benefits.
The shortened work requirement applies to work obligations imposed as of 1 March 2026.
The following transitional legislation will be applied when assessing the recurrence of non-compliance:
Non-compliance before 1 March 2026
- If your failure to comply occurred on 28 February 2026 or earlier, the old four-tiered system of sanctions regarding unemployment benefits will be applied.
Non-compliance for which no sanctions have been imposed before 1 March 2026
- If your failure to comply occurred before 1 March 2026 but no mandatory waiting period or work obligation has been imposed on you, this non-compliance will not be taken into account if new failures occur after 1 March 2026.
Non-compliance for which sanctions have been imposed before 1 March 2026
- If a mandatory waiting period or work obligation has been imposed on you before 1 March 2026, this will be taken into account when considering the recurrence of your non-compliance if your new failure occurs within 12 months of the failure that led to sanctions.
You will no longer receive a separate reminder letter regarding non-compliance. Job Market Finland will send you SMS reminders regarding any expiring deadlines.
You will receive an automatic SMS reminder in the following cases:
- The deadline for a clarification request, further clarification request or a hearing is about to expire.
- If you have stated that you will provide us with appendices.
- An obligatory client meeting has been scheduled for you.
- If you have not applied for a job that you have been obligated to apply for.
- The deadline for an obligatory task set in your plan is about to expire.
SMS reminders are sent automatically to all clients with a Finnish mobile phone number in the system. Please enter only one mobile phone number in the phone number field of Job Market Finland in the format 040123456 or +35840123456.
You will receive an SMS reminder:
- 24 h before an obligatory client meeting.
- 36 h before the expiration of a deadline.
The sender of the messages will be TyömarkTori or Jobbmarknad.
- The messages never contain any links.
- The messages never ask you for any personal data.
- The messages cannot be replied to.
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)