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Unemployment | Our Services | KelaSkip to content

Unemployment

Two people in the kitchen. One of them is drying a dish with a towel.
General social security benefit
If you are laid off temporarily
Unemployment in different life situations
Did you find a job?

Lost your job?

  1. Register as a jobseeker with the employment services
    If you become unemployed or you are temporarily laid off, register immediately as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi/en).
    Do as follows if you become unemployed.
  2. Unemployment benefit from an unemployment fund or Kela?

    If you are a member of an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa) through a labour union or otherwise, apply for earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) from the fund. If you do not belong to an unemployment fund, apply for the general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela.
    More information about the general social security benefit.

  3. Do you meet the work requirement?
    Kela or the unemployment fund will check if your work history meets the work requirement (työssäoloehto) for employees. If you are a member of an unemployment fund and you meet the work requirement, you can get earnings-related unemployment allowance from the fund. In other cases, you may get general social security benefit from Kela.
    What is the work requirement?
  4. Stay registered as a jobseeker
    Make sure that you do what the employment services ask you to do before the deadline.
    Fill in an unemployment status report (työttömyysajan ilmoitus) in the OmaKela e-service every 4 weeks. Your general social security benefit will be paid on the basis of your report.
    Read the instructions and report the days you have been unemployed.
  5. Keep looking for work
    Use the tyomarkkinatori.fi e-service to look for suitable job opportunities.
    Look up vacancies (tyomarkkinatori.fi).

Is the payment of your earnings-related unemployment allowance about to end?

What else is going on in your life?

Do you need help with housing costs?

Housing allowance can compensate for reduced incomes and help with the housing costs.

Are you short of money?

If you are unemployed, you may be really short of money. In that case, social assistance can help you get through the worst.

Did you fall ill?

If you are ill, you should apply for sick leave and sickness allowance instead of unemployment benefit.

Has your income decreased?

Changes in your income may affect Kela benefits.

Current topics 

Does Kela pay you both general social security benefit and housing allowance? Here is how different types of income affect your benefits

If Kela pays you more than one kind of benefit, the types of income you have and any changes in them can affect your benefits in different ways. Read on for more information about what types of income affect general social security benefit and general housing allowance and when you have to tell Kela about changes in your income.

Lue lisää

A partial early old-age pension granted before 1 May 2026 does not impact general social security benefit

Parliament has approved an amendment to the Act on General Social Security Benefit. After the amendment enters into force, your partial early old-age pension will not have an effect on the amount of your general social security benefit if the pension was granted before 1 May 2026. If you were granted a partial early old-age pension before 1 May 2026 and Kela has taken your pension into account in the means test for your general social security benefit, Kela will retroactively amend its past decision on your benefit and pay the amount of unpaid benefit that has accrued since 1 May 2026 to you.

Learn more

 

On the Unemployment pages

Go to Our Services