It is worth joining an unemployment fund as soon as you are in paid employment. Many students wait until after graduation to join, even though it is a good idea to become a member as soon as you start your first summer job or part-time job.
“I’ll join the unemployment fund after I graduate.” This is what many students think. But your student years are often the best time to join. Your first summer jobs, part-time jobs and temporary gigs can already help you meet the conditions for earnings-related unemployment allowance. You cannot join an unemployment fund once you have become unemployed.
Join in good time
It is easy to start thinking about unemployment fund membership only when you realise you may need earnings-related unemployment allowance. However, you can only join an unemployment fund if you are in paid employment at the time, you join and are between 18 and 67 years old.
Simply joining an unemployment fund does not entitle you to earnings-related unemployment allowance. You must have been a member for at least 12 months. You must also meet the employment condition and the other requirements for receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance.
Many people only start considering unemployment fund membership when they are at risk of becoming unemployed. By then, however, it may already be too late to join, as there may not be enough time to meet the conditions for receiving the allowance before unemployment begins. It is therefore worth joining as soon as you start your first job. This way, you will not forget about it or have to think about membership later.
Why join while you are still a student?
Many students wonder whether they should join during their first summer job or wait until after graduation. Although employment during your studies is often made up of short periods of work, this is exactly when it is worth becoming a member. Many students think that a summer job “doesn’t count for much”, but in reality, every period of employment that meets the requirements takes you one step closer to qualifying for earnings-related unemployment allowance.
The 12-month membership condition starts to accumulate as soon as you join. If you wait until you graduate and enter working life, the 12-month period will only start then. You may also find that you do not get a job immediately after graduation and face a period of unemployment.
Few people can predict what the employment situation will be like when they graduate. It is worth becoming a member of an unemployment fund before you need the security it provides. If you start accumulating the employment condition while you are still studying, you may be eligible for earnings-related unemployment security sooner.
Can I meet the employment condition if I only work during the summer?
For many students, summer jobs, part-time work and temporary gigs are an important way of financing their studies. You do not need to meet the employment condition through one continuous period of work with the same employer. Summer jobs, part-time work and temporary gigs can all accumulate the 12-month employment condition required for earnings-related unemployment allowance, provided that the work and pay meet the statutory requirements.
Working life has become more uncertain, and different forms of work have become increasingly common. Fixed-term employment, project work, temporary agency work and seasonal work are very common today. Young people and students often work in these types of jobs. This makes unemployment fund membership increasingly important for young people as well.
Once you have joined an unemployment fund, your membership continues even if your circumstances change. You can join during your very first summer job and keep your membership valid from then on. After your summer job, your path may include an internship, part-time work, graduation and your first permanent job. You do not need to start your membership again when you change jobs.
The membership fee is a small investment in your future security
Unemployment fund membership is like insurance for the future. Hopefully you will never need it, but if you become unemployed or are temporarily laid off, the security is already in place. As a rule, the earnings-related unemployment allowance paid by an unemployment fund is higher than the unemployment benefit paid by Kela. The cost of unemployment fund membership is a small price to pay for securing a better income for yourself in case you become unemployed.
Unemployment fund membership gives you more than earnings-related unemployment allowance
As a member of A-kassa, you also have access to job search support services that help you while you are still studying and later at different stages of your career. For example, in Employment Wizard you can update your jobseeker profile, improve your CV, use AI to support your job search and receive job recommendations that match your profile. You also have access to Barona’s job search channel and free Employment Webinars among other services.
Remember:
- Join an unemployment fund as soon as you are in paid employment.
- You cannot join an unemployment fund while you are unemployed.
- The membership condition starts to accumulate as soon as you join.
- Summer jobs, part-time work and temporary gigs can also accumulate the employment condition.