Review your tax card – ensure your benefits are taxed correctly!
Starting January 2025, withholding rate for benefits is determined automatically based on the tax card that comes into force on January 1, 2025. The income ceiling specified in the tax card is calculated for the full year, and the ceiling is valid from the beginning of the year. The unemployment fund generally receives new […]
Third largest unemployment fund in Finland grows further – A-kassa welcomes 12,500 new members
Having completed another merger at the turn of the year, Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa continues to grow. With the approximately 12,500 members of the Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund transferred over to A-kassa, it now has over 250,000 members. A-kassa retains its position as the third largest unemployment fund in Finland. A-kassa is a multi-trade […]
Schedule changes and other changes at the turn of the year
The Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund will merge with A-kassa on 1 January 2025. This will cause a break in benefit payments and an eService outage at the turn of the year to allow for system updates. It will also lead to temporary changes in benefit payment schedules and service hours. eServices unavailable from 20 […]
Supplementary amount removed at the start of 2025
The Parliament has approved a legislative amendment that removes the supplementary amount of earnings-related allowance. The increase could have been paid if the unemployed person participated in a service promoting employment. The change affects approximately one tenth of earnings-related allowance recipients. Payment of supplementary amounts for the period of employment promotion services will cease […]
The number of A-kassa members to exceed 250,000 – Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund joins the fold
Currently the third largest unemployment fund in Finland, Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa will have more than 250,000 members at the turn of the year. This significant increase is due to the approximately 12,500 members of the Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund merging into A-kassa in January 2025. A-kassa reinforces its status as third largest unemployment […]
Unemployed at the turn of the year? Register as a jobseeker by Dec 29, 2024
This year, the last day for registering as an unemployed jobseeker is Sunday, Dec 29, 2024. Please note that E-services at Job Market Finland where registration takes place are down for maintenance at the turn of the year as employment services information systems are updated. The service shuts down on Monday, Dec 30, 2024, at […]
Unemployment on the rise at the onset of winter: number of earnings-related allowance recipients increased in November
At A-kassa, the number of earnings-related allowance recipients increased by 16% from October to November. The upwards trend in unemployment that began in October continues, and the share of laid-off persons among the recipients is also clearly on the rise. Number of earnings-related allowance recipients up in November In November, 25,945 members received earnings-related […]
TE Services transfer to municipalities on January 1, 2025
Employment and Economic Development Offices, i.e. TE Offices, will be discontinued at the beginning of 2025. In the future, services for the unemployed and jobseekers will be provided by their own municipality or by an employment area formed by multiple municipalities. Employment services will become part of every municipality’s basic services. When becoming unemployed, […]
For what period should I apply for daily allowance?
Our customer service often answers questions regarding the schedule of applying for earnings-related allowance, i.e. when first-time and follow-up applications should be submitted. The various time attributes may seem confusing, unclear and difficult to remember. To help, we have compiled the most important time attributes to make submitting applications easier. Applications are submitted after […]
Open Unemployment Fund’s membership fee remains unchanged
The Open Unemployment Fund’s (A-kassa) membership fee will stay at 8 euros per month in 2025. This means that there will be no changes to the amount of the fee. The Financial Supervisory Authority approved the proposal of the Open Unemployment Fund’s board of directors that the membership fee will be 8 euros a […]
Did you remember to check the income ceiling stated in your tax card?
If you surpass your income ceiling late in the year, any benefit paid out by an unemployment fund is taxed with the higher additional rate instead of your standard tax rate. You can check your income ceiling at the Tax Administration’s MyTax service (by clicking on the link, you are transferred to the Tax Administration’s […]
Surprising decline in number of earnings-related allowance recipients
In September, the number of recipients of earnings-related allowance at A-kassa fell by 3.7% from August. This is surprising because the number typically goes up in September. In September, a total of 20,805 members, or 8.5%, received earnings-related allowance. The share of lay-off period daily allowance recipients remained at nearly the same level, standing at […]
Legislative amendments entering into force this autumn
Amendments entering into force on Aug 1, 2024 Job alternation leave system will be abolished Amendments entering into force on Sep 2, 2024 Employment condition will be linked to euros earned Employment condition will be extended to 12 months Amount of earnings-related daily allowance will be staggered Pay subsidy work does not accrue entitlement to […]
Applying for daily allowance – what’s different going forward?
This year, unemployment security has seen several amendments which affect both the amount and the calculation method of unemployment security. Although the process for applying for unemployment security mostly remains the same, some changes are on the way. How is the monetary valuation reflected in filling out application forms? In force since the beginning […]
Staggering of earnings-related allowance enters into force in September 2024
On June 19, 2024, the Parliament of Finland approved the government proposal on staggering the level of earnings-related allowance. In practice, this means that earnings-related allowance payouts decrease as unemployment continues. Also, some age-related exemption rules are abolished and the right to earnings-related allowance is no longer accrued from pay subsidy work. What does […]
Our phone service will be open from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM between August 19th and September 30th
A-kassa’s phone service will be available in the mornings from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM during the period from August 19th to September 30th. A-kassa aims to process and pay benefits to all its members as efficiently and timely as possible. We are temporarily limiting the opening hours of our phone service to focus our […]
Number of earnings-related allowance recipients on the increase
At A-kassa, the number of earnings-related allowance recipients has typically decreased in the summer months and increased again in the autumn. This year, however, the numbers appear to have taken an upward turn already in August. By mid-August, a total of 5.4% of all members received earnings-related allowance, an increase of 0.2 percentage points from […]
The merger of Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund into A-kassa has been confirmed
The Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority has approved and confirmed the merger of the Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund into Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa at the start of next year. The merger will take effect on 1 January 2025. The Paper Workers’ Unemployment Fund and A-kassa approved the agreement on the merger of the Paper Workers’ […]
Important things to consider as your summer job ends
If you have joined an unemployment fund during your summer employment, please consider remaining a fund member even when your employment ends. The right to earnings-related allowance may also be accrued with short-term employment relationships. You do not have to work continuously, but you do have to be a fund member in order to be […]
Number of recipients of earnings-related allowance down in July as expected
In July, the number of recipients of earnings-related allowance at A-kassa was down five percent compared to June. 21,445 members received earnings-related allowance in July, representing a total of 8.8 percent of all members. The share of recipients of lay-off period daily allowance of all recipients of earnings-related allowance kept going down. At the end […]
