Jobseeker rights
Helsinki Employment Services can help you with finding a job, figuring out education alternatives, and questions related to unemployment benefits.
You can also use the free services, such as
- Training for jobseekers
- Career guidance offered by a psychologist
- Update your digital skills
- Job search workshops(Link leads to external service)
- Health check-ups for unemployed
You can receive unemployment benefits from Kela or your unemployment fund if your situation meets the conditions of your unemployment benefits.
Read more about how to apply for unemployment benefit
Jobseeker responsibilities
As a jobseeker, you have certain obligations which affect the validity of your job search and your entitlement to unemployment benefit.
You must, for example, e.g.
- apply for jobs according to your plan
- carry out the tasks agreed in the employment plan
- participate in the agreed appointments and services
- respond to clarification requests and other enquiries within the specified time limit
- apply for jobs indicated by the Employment Services by their deadline
- report any changes in your situation
- keep your contact information up to date
- create and publish a jobseeker profile.
Check your tasks and deadlines regularly in Job Market Finland’s E-Services.
Read how to apply for unemployment benefit(Link leads to external service)
To be eligible for unemployment benefit, you must be registered as a jobseeker with the Employment Services and be looking for full-time work. You must also be prepared to accept a full-time job if one is assigned to you.
Make sure you fulfil your obligation to seek work
The obligation to seek work means that you must actively seek employment while your job search is valid.
The obligation to seek work imposed on you will be determined based on your situation. The number of job opportunities to be applied for and the review period will be registered in your employment plan.
Always check your own plan to see how many job opportunities you must apply for and by which date.
Ways of fulfilling the obligation to seek work
Depending on the situation, you can fulfil your obligation to seek work in various ways.
You can, for example, e.g.
- apply for a vacancy
- send an open application to an employer
- contact the employer directly to apply for a job
- apply for a job through a staffing agency
- request additional hours from your current employer if you are working part-time
- market your own business
- apply for work grants.
Check your personal employment plan to see how you can fulfil your obligation to seek work.
Report your job application
Report your job-seeking activities via Job Market Finland’s E-services by the deadline defined in your plan.
Store any written accounts related to your job search, such as applications and the messages you have sent to employers, so that you can prove that you have applied for jobs if necessary.
Go to Job Market Finland’s E-services(Link leads to external service)
Follow your plan and deadlines
The objectives and tasks related to your job search, as well as their deadlines, are entered in your employment plan.
Please ensure that you
- carry out the agreed tasks
- participate in the agreed appointments
- participate in the agreed services
- respond to any clarification requests
- report on the completion of the tasks as agreed.
If you are unable to carry out a task or participate in a meeting, contact Job Market Finland’s E-services as soon as possible.
Failing to fulfil your obligations even once will result in a mandatory seven-day waiting period without benefits. You will no longer receive a separate reminder letter regarding non-compliance.
Report any changes in your situation
Notify the Employment Services of any changes that may affect your job search.
Notify us, for example, e.g. if you
- start or finish working
- your working hours change
- you start studying
- you start business activities
- your situation changes in any other way that affects your job search.
You can report the changes in Job Market Finland’s E-services.
Remember to notify Kela or your unemployment fund of any changes that may affect your benefit payments, if necessary.
Keep your job application valid
Your job application must be valid in order for you to receive unemployment benefit.
Follow the instructions you have been given and complete the tasks assigned to you by the deadline. Check Job Market Finland’s E-services and your Suomi.fi messages regularly. If your job search ends, you will not be entitled to unemployment benefit for the period during which your job search is not valid.
Your jobseeker status will be terminated immediately if you fail to fulfil your obligations imposed by the Employment Services within the deadline set for them and in the manner required.
If you wish to reactivate your jobseeker status, re-register as a jobseeker in Job Market Finland. If you are unable to do so online, contact Helsinki Employment Services.
If you no longer need employment services or the unemployment benefit, you can end your job search in Job Market Finland’s E-services.
Keep your contact information up to date
Ensure that your telephone number, email address and postal address are up to date.
The Employment Services do not automatically receive your updated contact information from other authority systems. Update any changes to your information in Job Market Finland’s E-services.
Having an up-to-date Finnish phone number is also important because it allows you to receive text message reminders about upcoming deadlines.
You will receive reminders about important deadlines
Job Market Finland can send you an automatic text message reminder before certain deadlines related to your job search.
You can receive a reminder for the following, for example
- when the deadline for a clarification request, further clarification request or a hearing is about to expire
- you have stated that you will provide attachments
- an obligatory client meeting has been scheduled for you
- you have not applied for a job indicated to you
- 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 +35840123456.
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.
Read more about SMS reminders(Link leads to external service)
The obligation of those under 25 to apply for education
If you are under the age of 25 and do not have a degree after comprehensive school or general upper secondary school, you must apply for at least two study places for which you meet the admission requirements in order to be eligible for unemployment benefit. Your entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed at the start of the autumn term, i.e. from 1 September onwards.
Specific conditions apply to applying for a study place. If you are unsure whether this obligation applies to you, please discuss the matter with your assigned specialist.
Read more about unemployment security for persons under the age of 25(Link leads to external service)
If you do not fulfil your obligations
Failure to fulfil a jobseeker’s obligations may affect your entitlement to unemployment benefit.
If you fail to fulfil your agreed-upon obligations, suspend or refuse to use the services or neglect your duty to work, a mandatory waiting period without benefits may be imposed on you. During the waiting period, you will not receive any unemployment benefits and your jobseeker status will be suspended.
- Your first failure to fulfil your obligations will result in a seven-day waiting period without benefits.
- If you fail to fulfil your obligations a second time within a period of 12 months, a six-week duty to work may be imposed.
If a duty to work is imposed on you, eligibility for unemployment benefit requires, for example, that you work or participate in a service approved by the Employment Services for at least six weeks.
For example, a mandatory waiting period may be imposed if you
- fail to attend appointments with Employment Services as agreed
- resign from your job without a valid reason
- interrupt or refuse a service
- refuse a job indicated by the Employment Services without a valid reason.
During the mandatory waiting period, you will not be entitled to unemployment benefits. If your income is not sufficient to cover your essential expenses, you can:
- apply for social assistance from Kela
- apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance from the City of Helsinki if it is deemed to alleviate your financial hardship or if you have special needs
- ask for advice and help from the service points of adult social work for young adults and adult social work for people over 30.
Read more news on our website
Read more about the mandatory waiting period and other sanctions related to the unemployment benefit(Link leads to external service)
If the payment of your unemployment benefit is suspended
If you are not receiving unemployment benefit and your income is not enough to cover your essential expenses, check with Kela to see if you are eligible for social assistance.
In some situations, you can apply for supplementary or preventive social assistance from the City of Helsinki.
Read more about social assistance from Kela(Link leads to external service)
Read more about the City of Helsinki’s supplementary and preventive social assistance