Easter affects service hours and payment dates
The Easter holidays cause changes to the unemployment fund’s service hours and benefit payment dates. Telephone service and eService chat On Thursday 2 April, we serve as usual otherwise, but the eService chat and the telephone line for authorities will close at 14:00. On Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April, customer service is […]
Summer job and unemployment security – what you should know?
For many school pupils and students, summer is their first contact with working life. A summer job offers valuable work experience, income, meaningful activity, and an opportunity to build skills. At the same time, it is good to take care of matters related to unemployment security – even if unemployment is not currently relevant. […]
Why do you need to register as an unemployed jobseeker?
When you become unemployed or are laid off, there is one important thing to take care of immediately: registering as an unemployed jobseeker. You must register no later than on your first day of unemployment or lay-off – preferably in advance. But why is this so important? When you become unemployed, you will inevitably […]
Midweek holidays and earnings-related allowance – how to complete your application correctly
A midweek holiday may affect whether earnings-related allowance is paid for a lay-off day. If your employer pays wages or midweek holiday compensation for a midweek holiday, this information must be reported correctly in the application. This ensures that the allowance can be paid correctly. Earnings-related allowance for a midweek holiday Earnings-related unemployment allowance […]
Five tips for using EmploymentWizard
EmploymentWizard is a job search tool designed for A-kassa members, supporting you at different stages of your job search. With it, you can compile and tailor your CV for different positons and create employer-specific, customised applications. You also gain access to the resources of your own trade union and A-kassa’s free Employment Webinars. We […]
Accepting a job further away does not have to disrupt everyday life – here’s how you can make commuting, housing and daily arrangements easier
In the first article in our job search series, we examined what happens when you expand your job search beyond your home area. Opportunities may increase significantly when you consider a slightly wider geographical area. In the second article, we discussed the mobility allowance, which can make it easier to accept a job when the […]
A-kassa’s spring EmploymentWebinars offer practical support for job seeking
A-kassa’s EmploymentWebinars continue in March–April with two topical themes. The free webinars provide members with practical support for job seeking as well as new perspectives on employment opportunities. In the March EmploymentWebinar, we will discuss with Barona’s experts how to broaden your job search and what to consider when looking for a new job. […]
Significantly fewer recipients of earnings-related allowance than a year ago – the number of first applications declined from January
In February, the number of recipients of earnings-related allowance from the A-kassa continued to decrease compared to last year, but on a monthly level the situation remained almost unchanged. The number of applications received in February was clearly lower than a year earlier, and in particular the number of first applications declined from January. At […]
Frequently asked questions about unemployment benefits
Did you know that the A-kassa website has a Frequently asked questions page where we have collected answers to questions that our members often wonder about? On the page, you can quickly find answers to questions about, for example, earnings-related allowance, filling in the application and membership of the fund. The aim is to […]
See how light entrepreneurship affects unemployment security
Light entrepreneurship attracts more and more people to accept work, but many do not know how it affects unemployment security. From the perspective of the unemployment fund, light entrepreneurship is treated in the same way as other forms of entrepreneurship. If you work as a light entrepreneur, the labour market authority will assess whether […]
Did you find a new job further away? You may receive up to €800 per month in mobility allowance
In the first article in our job‑search series, we encouraged jobseekers to broaden their search from their home municipality to neighbouring areas or even to the whole of Finland. When the search area expands, the number of available vacancies may increase significantly. But what happens if a suitable job is located hundreds of kilometres […]
Entrepreneurship and earnings-related allowance – what you need to know
Employment relationship, self-employment, entrepreneurship. For the purpose of unemployment security, who is considered an entrepreneur? What does it mean if an employer offers you billable work rather than salaried work? Being an entrepreneur does not automatically exclude you from unemployment security. In this article, we discuss the definition of an entrepreneur, entrepreneur’s eligibility for earnings-related […]
One third of earnings-related allowance recipients already affected by the staggering – number of those reaching the maximum period has doubled in two years
According to A-kassa’s statistics, both the number of members affected by the staggered earnings-related allowance and the number of members who have reached the maximum payment period have increased significantly. The development is partly influenced by the entry into force of the staggering system and by the fact that the new legislation has gradually become […]
Under 25 years old: remember to apply for studies
The call for post-secondary education applications for spring is now open. To receive unemployment benefit, a young person under the age of 25 must apply for at least two study places for studies starting the next fall, if she/he does not have the necessary education. The conditions for receiving daily allowance for those under […]
Properly filled out application speeds up your application process
A-kassa aims to process applications efficiently and pay out your benefits as quickly as possible. When you fill out your application carefully and make sure to add all required attachments, your application is processed swiftly. Here are some tips to make your application process as smooth as possible: 1. Fill out your application carefully […]
The number of earnings-related allowance recipients increased by more than 10% in January, with a marked rise in the share of laid-off members
The number of earnings-related allowance recipients at A-kassa increased by 10.7% in January while the share of laid-off members reached 40%. First-time applications saw a sharp increase of 52.2% from December, and mid-February figures suggest an increase is inevitable in February as well. In January 2026, a total of 25,717 persons received earnings-related allowance […]
Changes to suspension periods will take effect at the beginning of March
Parliament has approved the government’s proposed legislative amendment, which will further tighten the rules on waiting periods. The amendments concern suspension periods related to jobseeking and employment services. Amendments are not proposed to suspension periods related to improper actions in other contexts. The changes will enter into force on 1 March 2026. A suspension […]
Have you considered extending the scope of your job search? You could see a vast increase in the number of vacancies available to you
People tend to take a safe and familiar approach to their job search, limiting the scope to their local area and their own field. This is understandable, as many are reluctant to upend all aspects of their daily life for the sake of employment. They have concerns about the time and cost of a long […]
Unemployment fund survey: Confidence in one’s own employment situation remains unchanged
In January 2026, A-kassa conducted a survey among its members on their employment situation. The survey examined members’ views on their own employment status. The results were compared with a similar survey carried out a year earlier. According to the results, members’ confidence in their own employment situation has remained unchanged, even though the share […]
How are meeting the employment condition and the graduated reduction of earnings-related unemployment allowance connected?
Meeting the employment condition and the graduated reduction of earnings-related unemployment allowance are closely linked. Each time the employment conditions are met and a new maximum payment period begins, the graduated reduction is reset and starts again from the beginning. Accumulation and fulfilment of the employment condition The employment condition is accumulated on a calendar-month […]