Unemployment benefits
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Three unemployment benefits
If you become unemployed, you can receive unemployment benefit from Kela or an unemployment fund. There are three different types of unemployment benefit. You can only receive one type of unemployment benefit at a time. You cannot receive unemployment benefits from Kela and an unemployment fund at the same time.
Government planning to introduce a general social security benefit – how will it impact the unemployed?
The Government is planning to introduce a new general social security benefit with the goal of simplifying the social security system. If Parliament approves the Government’s proposal for the introduction of the general social security benefit, it will replace labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance in 2026. The intention is for the general social security benefit to be extended to cover more benefits later on. This article addresses some of the most frequently asked questions on the general social security benefit.
Labour market subsidy
- Applied for from Kela.
- You can receive labour market subsidy if you do not meet the work requirement.
- You can also receive labour market subsidy if you have received basic unemployment allowance or earnings-related unemployment allowance for the maximum period of time.
Basic unemployment allowance
- Applied for from Kela.
- You can be paid basic unemployment allowance if you meet the work requirement.
- Can only be paid if you are not a member of an unemployment fund or if you have been a member for less than 12 months.
- The amount of the benefit is the same for everyone regardless of the wage or salary.
Earnings-related unemployment allowance
- Applied for from the unemployment fund.
- You receive earnings-related unemployment allowance if you are a member of an unemployment fund and you meet the work requirement during your membership.
- The benefit is determined on the basis of the wage or salary.
In order to receive unemployment benefits, you must be registered as looking for work and you must be prepared to accept a full-time job.
What unemployment benefits can you get?
If you are a member of an unemployment fund and you meet the work requirement, you can receive earnings-related unemployment allowance. Kela cannot pay you any unemployment benefits if you are a member of an unemployment fund and you are entitled to earnings-related unemployment allowance from the unemployment fund.
When can I claim earnings-related allowance (tyj.fi)
If you are not a member of an unemployment fund but you meet the work requirement, you can receive basic unemployment allowance.
Read about basic unemployment allowance
If you do not meet the work requirement, you may be eligible for labour market subsidy.
Read about labour market subsidy
What is the work requirement?
The work requirement means that you must have worked enough before becoming unemployed. Learn more below about what the work requirement for employees or for self-employed persons means.
How is the work requirement for employees calculated?
When reviewing your application, Kela or the unemployment fund will check if your work history meets the work requirement for employees.
You meet the work requirement for employees if you have accumulated a total of 12 months of work history during the reference period of 28 months.
The work you do counts as work history for the work requirement in the following way:
- one month for each calendar month in which you earned at least EUR 930
- half a month for each calendar month in which you earned EUR 465–929.
For the time period before 2 September 2024, calendar weeks during which you worked at least 18 hours also count towards the work requirement.
To meet the work requirement, you must meet all the following criteria:
- Your wage or salary has been consistent with the terms of the relevant collective agreement. If there is no relevant collective agreement, your wage must amount to at least EUR 1,430 per month as of 2025. This means that your daily wage or salary must be at least EUR 66.51 and your hourly wage or salary at least EUR 8.31.
- You have accumulated at least 12 months of work history during the reference period, i.e. the last 28 months.
The work requirement does not have to be fulfilled during a single, consecutive period of employment. All paid work done during the reference period of 28 months counts towards the requirement, as long as your wage or salary meets the conditions above.
Work in another EU or EEA country, in Switzerland, in Great Britain or in Northern Ireland can also count towards the work requirement.
Example: Work requirement
You worked full-time between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025. You become unemployed and apply for unemployment benefits starting from 1 October 2025.
You were paid a salary of EUR 2,500 per month on the 15th day of each month.
You meet the work requirement on 30 September 2025, because at that point, you have accumulated 12 months of work history that counts towards the work requirement.
You accumulate work history for the calendar month in which you are paid. However, there are some exceptions:
- If you are paid late for reasons that have to do with your employer, your wages or salaries are recognised for the calendar month in which they were scheduled to be paid.
- If you are paid for a period longer than a month rather than monthly as is the norm, your progress towards meeting the work requirement is calculated so that your wages or salaries are divided among the number of calendar months during which you have earned them and recognised for the same number of months.
- If you are paid bonuses or other target-based wages for a period longer than one month, these wages are recognised for the period during which they have been earned.
Wage-subsidised work will only count towards the work requirement if the work is intended to facilitate the employment of a person with reduced work capacity or the employment of a long-term unemployed person over the age of 60.
Wage-subsidised work will only begin to count towards the work requirement after 10 months of work. In that case, 75% of the wage-subsidised work will count towards the requirement. The 25% of the wage-subsidised work that does not count towards the work requirement extends the reference period for the requirement.
Any wage-subsidised work that does not count towards the work requirement extends the reference period for the requirement by its full duration.
How is the work requirement for self-employed persons calculated?
To meet the work requirement for self-employed persons, the following criteria must be met:
- You must have been self-employed for at least 15 months during the 48 months preceding unemployment
- The earned income is at least EUR 15,128 in 2024 and at least EUR 14,803 in 2024.
The earned income is the sum of the income under the self-employed persons' (YEL) and farmers' (MYEL) pension insurance schemes and the income earned under the Employees’ Pensions Act (TyEL) while self-employed.
Self-employment that has continued for at least 4 months is included in the work requirement.
Any paid employment during the 28 months preceding the unemployment also counts towards the work requirement applicable to self-employed persons.
Reference period
The reference period is the period of time for which your work is included in the work requirement.
Usually the reference period for employees is 28 months and for self-employed persons 48 months.
However, the period is extended by for instance
-
conscription
-
illness
-
full-time studies
-
caring for a child under the age of 3
-
participation in employment promoting services.
The maximum extension is 7 years. The longest possible reference period is thus 9 years and 4 months.
Validity of the work requirement
If you alternate between work and unemployment, you do not need to meet the work requirement every time.
However, if you are absent from the labour market for more than 6 months without an acceptable reason, you cannot be paid earnings-related unemployment allowance or basic unemployment allowance until you meet the work requirement again.