In September, the number of applicants receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance from A-Kassa Open Unemployment Fund was 19,169. Compared to August, the increase was only less than 200 applicants. However, the increase was 24.8 per cent compared to September 2022. Compared to the previous month, the share of temporarily laid-off persons was clearly increased. In September, as many as 27.6 per cent of the persons receiving an earnings-related unemployment allowance were temporarily laid-off, whereas in August, the share was 24.5 per cent.
In September, the average number of days of allowance paid was 18.9 day, which is 1.1 days less than in the same period the previous year.
The number of persons worrying about and expecting temporary laid-offs is on the rise
In September, we mapped the work situation of the A-Kassa Open Unemployment Fund members for the upcoming autumn. 3,487 members of the unemployment fund responded to the survey. A similar survey was last conducted in January 2023. In January, 53 per cent considered their work situation to be promising, whereas in September, the number was down to only 41 per cent.
In September, 19 per cent of the respondents considered their work situation to be concerning, whereas in January, the number was 17 per cent. In January, only 9 per cent said that their work was coming to an end or that their work was about to have temporary lay-offs. In September, as many as 21 per cent said that they were facing such situation. Only 2 per cent of the respondents were starting a new job.
At the time of the survey, the share of unemployed persons was 17 per cent, whereas in January, the share was 21 per cent.
