In August, the number of recipients of earnings-related allowance at the Open Unemployment Fund remained consistent with the previous month. In August, 8.9% of A-kassa members received earnings-related allowance. In July, the number was 8.8%. However, of all recipients of earnings-related allowance, the share of lay-off period daily allowance recipients kept going down. At the end of August, it was at 28.5 percent, 1.1 percentage points less than in July.
At A-kassa, the number of earnings-related allowance recipients has typically decreased in the summer months and increased again in the autumn. In 2023, the increase took a sharper turn in October, but the situation for the upcoming autumn is, as of yet, difficult to forecast.
Share of laid-off persons kept going down
The share of laid-off persons among those receiving earnings-related allowance from A-kassa has been declining steadily throughout the summer. At 29.6% in July, it continued to decline in August, standing at 28.5% at the end the month. The share of laid-off persons among those receiving earnings-related allowance has remained higher than in 2023 all year long.
In 2023, the share of laid-off persons was 24% in both July and August. In 2024, the share of laid-off persons was 30% in July and 29% in August.
Earnings-related allowance costs down in August
A-kassa’s earnings-related allowance costs went down in August. Earnings-related allowance costs totalled 29.2 million euros in August, a decrease of 1.0 million euros (–3.3%) from July and 6.4% less than in August 2023. On average, the number of payout days in August was 18.4, less than in July this year or August last year.
A-kassa keeps a keen eye on the situation in the autumn when the staggering of earnings-related allowance, which came into force in September, begins to impact daily allowance payouts.
Read the full August statistical summary (in Finnish)
