Qualifying period means that no earnings-related allowance payments are made right at the onset of unemployment. In fact, the qualifying period can reset shortly after the previous qualifying period has been fulfilled.
You should keep in mind that the qualifying period is not always a fixed single period. Rather, it may be set several times, such as when you fulfil your employment condition again or if your qualifying period is not fully accrued within eight calendar weeks. Part-time work and lay-offs can also affect the calculation of your qualifying period.
What is the qualifying period and does it apply to me?
Your earnings-related allowance payments only commence once you have been an unemployed jobseeker at Job Market Finland for a period corresponding to seven full working days. You also need to submit a daily allowance application to A-kassa for this period. The qualifying period must be fully accrued within eight consecutive calendar weeks. If your seven-day qualifying period is not fully accrued in that time, the unemployment fund cannot count any days that fall outside the required eight consecutive calendar weeks towards your qualifying period.
The qualifying period resets no more than once per each maximum period for earnings-related allowance (300 to 500 days). When you again fulfil your employment condition (12 calendar months), your maximum payment period resets along with your qualifying period – even if your previous maximum payment period is still ongoing. Fulfilment of the employment condition is unique to each jobseeker, with different applicants fulfilling it at different times.
Example 1:
- Member: I have previously received daily allowance for a period of 100 days. I have since found employment, but now I find myself unemployed again. What happens when I reapply for earnings-related daily allowance?
- Fund: We review whether you have fulfilled your 12-month employment condition again since your daily allowance amount was last determined. If you have not, your payments recommence from day 101 without a new qualifying period. If you have fulfilled your employment condition again, we determine your daily allowance amount again and set a new qualifying period. You start over with a new maximum period for your earnings-related allowance.
Which days count towards the qualifying period?
Only those days which you have registered as a jobseeker for count towards your qualifying period, provided that you have submitted your application to A-kassa.
As a rule, days that do not entitle you to receive unemployment allowance do not count towards your qualifying period. Such situations include:
- No status as a registered jobseeker
- Ongoing suspension period (as a result of e.g. resigning)
- Periodisation of holiday compensation or other benefit
- Working time limit is exceeded
Please note that this list is not exhaustive. There are exceptions, including employment-promoting services. In this case, the qualifying period can be set and daily allowance can be paid regardless of any suspension periods.
Example 2:
- Member: I was laid off for one week in early September. How does this affect my daily allowance payments?
- Fund: You have fulfilled your employment condition, so your payments start over. Your daily allowance amount is recalculated, and a qualifying period is set. A maximum of five days per week count towards the qualifying period. This means that you have accrued five days towards your qualifying period over the course of your one-week layoff.
- Member: What if I get laid off again in a month?
- Fund: Because your new lay-off period occurs within eight calendar weeks of your previous lay-off, you accrue the remaining two days towards your qualifying period during this lay-off period.
Why was my qualifying period set twice within a short period?
You may face a scenario where your qualifying period is set multiple times if you do not fulfil it within eight weeks or if it cannot be set for another reason (such as a suspension period).
Example 3:
- Member: I fulfilled my employment condition in early 2024 when I was laid off for four days. Those days counted towards my qualifying period. Have I not fulfilled my qualifying period yet?
- Fund: You have not yet fulfilled your qualifying period. It is only fulfilled when you have seven days of full unemployment within a period of eight calendar weeks counted towards your qualifying period. A maximum of five days per week count towards your qualifying period.
- Member: My next lay-off, a total of five days, occurred in late November 2024. Was that enough for me to fulfil my qualifying period?
- Fund: Because the new lay-off period did not occur within eight calendar weeks of your September lay-off, your qualifying period started over. While you did earn five days towards your qualifying period in November, you still fell short of fulfilling it.
- Member: What about when I had my next lay-off in July 2025?
- Fund: The same principle applies. Your qualifying period started over in July, because this lay-off period did not occur within eight calendar weeks of when your qualifying period was last reset in November. In July, however, you accrued a total of seven days towards your qualifying period, finally fulfilling it. Once that happened and you were deemed otherwise eligible, we were able to proceed with your payments.
- Member: I was previously laid off in early September, 2025, and now I have been laid off again. Can you now proceed with my payments without a qualifying period?
- Fund: By now, you have accrued a new 12-month employment condition. And whenever you fulfil your employment condition again, the daily allowance amount is redetermined, your maximum period starts over and your qualifying period resets.
How do I earn days towards the qualifying period when I work part-time?
If you work part-time or you are partially laid off, your qualifying period is calculated based on your weekly working hours so that they correspond to seven full working days.
The period corresponding to seven working days is calculated by subtracting your actual working hours from the maximum working hours stipulated in the applicable collective agreement. If no collective agreement applies to your industry, your maximum working hours are set at 40 hours per week, as stipulated in the Finnish Working Time Act.
Your qualifying period is initially determined per calendar week. It is determined day to day starting from the onset of the week during which your qualifying period is fulfilled.
Example 4:
- Member: I work part time, with varying working hours. I fulfilled my employment condition on August 31, 2025. How do I accrue days towards my qualifying period in such a situation?
- Fund: Because your collective agreement specifies your maximum working hours at 40 hours per week, this is used as the baseline for determining your qualifying period. Seven full working days therefore equal 56 hours (7 × 8 = 56).
- During the first week, you worked 32 hours. The difference, 8 hours (40 – 32 = 8), counts towards your qualifying period.
- Because you worked zero hours during the second week, all 40 hours count towards your qualifying period.
- During the third week, you worked 30 hours, accruing 10 hours towards your qualifying period (40 – 30 = 10).
- Having accrued a total of 58 hours towards your qualifying period, you have now fulfilled it.