Unemployment security provides income security for unemployed jobseekers. Benefits include the earnings-related unemployment allowance, the basic unemployment allowance and the labour market subsidy.

To qualify for unemployment security, you must be available to the labour market. If you set restrictions that prevent you from accepting work or training offered to you, you are not regarded as available to the labour market.

You can receive unemployment security if you are unemployed and registered with an employment office as a jobseeker looking for full-time employment. If you are on partial disability pension, you have the right to receive unemployment benefit even if you are not looking for full-time work.

An absolute condition for maintaining your right to unemployment security is that your registration as a jobseeker remains valid. You must always sign on at an employment office no later than on the date set by the office.

The employment office or Labour Commission will issue an opinion about your right to unemployment security.

Unemployment allowance is paid to those who meet the previous employment condition when they become unemployed. If you are unemployed and have been a member of an unemployment fund for at least 10 months and meet the previous employment condition during this period, you will be paid earnings-related unemployment allowance by the unemployment fund. Others who meet the previous employment condition are paid basic unemployment allowance by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA). If you do not meet the previous employment condition or you have already received unemployment allowance for the maximum period allowed, you will receive labour market subsidy from KELA.

You should apply for the earnings-related allowance from your unemployment fund and for the basic allowance and labour market subsidy from KELA. You will find links to the application forms (in Finnish) from the list on the right.

For further information about unemployment security, please contact an employment office or an unemployment fund.