Unemployment
If you become unemployed or are laid off, you must register as an unemployed jobseeker with the Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) no later than on your first day of unemployment.
You must register with the TE Office no later than on your first day of unemployment or lay-off. You can register as unemployed on the TE Services website in the Oma asiointi service or by visiting a TE Office. You can also register by phone if you have previously been a customer of the Employment and Economic Development Centre.
More information about registering as unemployed
Applying for the unemployment allowance
You can apply for the unemployment benefit from your own unemployment fund or, if you are not entitled to earnings-related daily allowance, you can apply for basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy from Kela. The unemployment benefit cannot be paid if you have not registered as an unemployed jobseeker.
You are entitled to the unemployment benefit from the day on which you register as a jobseeker. The unemployment fund pays daily allowance only for the period during which your job search is valid. You can apply for the earnings-related daily allowance for the first time after you have been an unemployed jobseeker at the TE Office for at least two weeks.
“You can apply for the earnings-related daily allowance for the first time after you have been an unemployed jobseeker at the TE Office for at least two weeks.”
You can apply for the earnings-related daily allowance online or send the earnings-related daily allowance application to the unemployment fund by mail. Fill in the application carefully and include the necessary attachments. A properly completed application will expedite the processing. If your unemployment continues, fill in the application every calendar month or every four full calendar weeks (Monday–Sunday).
Apply for earnings-related daily allowance within three months for the days of unemployment to which the application relates. Applications older than three months will be rejected as late applications.
“Applications older than three months will be rejected as late applications.”
Report any changes that affect your entitlement to daily allowance during the period of unemployment (e.g. employment, earned wages, entrepreneurial activities, different kinds of remuneration, studies, sick leave and social benefits paid to your family) by submitting a daily allowance application to the unemployment fund. If necessary, also notify the Employment and Economic Development Office of the changes (e.g. in the case of employment, self-employment, studies or sick leave).
Read more about applying for earnings-related daily allowance on the website of Erko
As a rule, earnings-related daily allowance is paid to unemployed persons aged 18 to 64. However, in a lay-off event, the benefit can be paid until the end of the month in which the person turns 68.