Working part-time does not remove your obligation to look for work. If you receive an adjusted earnings-related daily allowance in addition to your part-time wages, you must generally keep your job search active and meet the job search requirement set by the employment authority.
Since the beginning of 2026, the job search requirement has, as a rule, been the same for part-time workers as for fully unemployed jobseekers. For most jobseekers, this means applying for four jobs per month.
Part-time work is common in Finland, with almost one in five employed people working part-time. Working part-time may be a personal choice, for example because of studies or health reasons, but for many it is also the only option available. According to Statistics Finland, almost one in three employees working part-time would prefer to work full-time.
When can you receive an adjusted earnings-related daily allowance?
You can receive an adjusted earnings-related daily allowance in addition to your part-time wages if you meet the requirements set by both the employment authority and the unemployment fund.
The employment authority assesses, among other things, whether
- your job search is active
- you are prepared to accept full-time work
- studies or business activities prevent you from receiving the benefit
- you have met your job search requirement.
The unemployment fund then determines whether you meet the conditions for receiving an earnings-related daily allowance. For example, the fund checks,
- whether the work is part-time or full-time work lasting no more than two weeks
- whether your working hours are no more than 80% of the maximum working hours for full-time work in the sector
- how your wage income affects the amount of earnings-related daily allowance payable to you.
The employment authority sends the labour policy statement directly to the unemployment fund, so you do not usually need to submit it yourself.
How is the adjusted earnings-related daily allowance calculated?
The amount of your adjusted earnings-related daily allowance is affected by the amount of your full earnings-related daily allowance and the wages you receive from part-time work. The daily allowance is paid at the same rate for each weekday during the application period for which you are entitled to the benefit.
Wages you receive while unemployed affect your earnings-related daily allowance when they are paid to you, regardless of when the work was actually performed. This is known as payment-based adjustment.
Your wages and adjusted earnings-related daily allowance combined cannot exceed the salary on which your daily allowance is based.
You must keep your job search active
To receive an adjusted earnings-related daily allowance, you must register as an unemployed jobseeker on Job Market Finland. Registering once is not enough: you must keep your job search active throughout your part-time employment.
Since the beginning of 2026, the job search requirement for part-time workers has, as a rule, been the same as for other unemployed jobseekers. In most cases, this means applying for four job opportunities per month.
However, the employment authority may reduce the job search requirement if applying for four job opportunities is not possible. No job search requirement will be set if, taking the jobseeker’s ability to work into account, it is not possible for them to accept other work alongside their part-time job.
The employment authority assesses each situation individually and records the job search requirement in the employment plan.
If you fail to meet your job search requirement without a valid reason, the first failure may result in a seven-day period without benefits. If you fail to meet the requirement again within 12 months, you may be required to fulfil a six-week employment obligation.
Report any changes without delay
If your situation changes, notify both the employment authority and the unemployment fund.
Notify the employment authority, for example, when your part-time work starts or ends, if your working hours change, or if your work becomes full-time. The employment authority will assess whether a new labour policy statement is required and will send it directly to the unemployment fund.
You should also provide the unemployment fund with the same information about your work in your application for earnings-related daily allowance. Enter the hours you have worked in the application and submit any requested attachments, such as your employment contract. As a rule, the fund receives your wage information directly from the Incomes Register.
The employment authority, not the unemployment fund, monitors compliance with the job search requirement. If the authority determines that you have failed to meet your job search requirement and issues a labour policy statement on the matter, the statement is binding on the unemployment fund and affects the payment of your earnings-related daily allowance.
Read more about the changes to the job search requirement in 2026 on Job Market Finland