Sometimes work isn’t available near where you live – but a long commute doesn’t necessarily mean you have to turn the job down. Many people don’t know that unemployment funds can, under certain conditions, pay mobility allowance if an unemployed person accepts a job or work-related training in another location or far from home. The allowance can also support relocation for work.
A-kassa’s recruitment cooperation with Barona aims to create new employment opportunities for jobseekers. At the moment, the highest demand is in the service sector, construction, and various industrial roles. Through this collaboration, many A-kassa members have already been offered jobs, and the first employment contracts have been signed for positions in construction and industry.
Now, there are also diverse job opportunities available in the food industry across Finland. Barona Food Industry is looking for employees for bakeries, meat processing facilities and ready-meal factories.
Job roles are available for packers, operators, food workers, and production managers, among others. Starting in August, there will be more openings in the food industry particularly in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and Eastern Finland (around Kuopio). These roles are well suited for individuals who follow hygiene and safety guidelines, work carefully, and are eager to learn new things.
Explore open positions at www.barona.fi/en
Although the job market is currently stable, regional mismatches between jobs and jobseekers make employment more difficult. That’s why A-kassa wants to raise awareness of the mobility allowance – it can make a long commute or relocating for work a viable and worthwhile solution.
When can you apply for mobility allowance?
The aim of the mobility allowance is to encourage people to accept work even from further away. The allowance compensates for travel and possible relocation costs when you take on a job or training related to work and your daily commute is long.
You can apply for mobility allowance if:
- you have received unemployment benefit just before the job or training starts,
- your daily commute is over three hours for full-time work or over two hours for part-time work (round trip),
- the employment lasts at least two months, and
- you apply for the allowance within three months of the job’s start date.
Mobility allowance is paid to those entitled to unemployment benefit
To qualify for mobility allowance, you must have received unemployment benefit immediately before the job or training starts. However, the allowance can still be granted even if the benefit wasn’t paid out before starting work, if the reason is one of the following:
- a waiting period (sanction),
- a training-related restriction for those under 25,
- an obligation to accept work,
- a qualifying period for earnings-related allowance.
The mobility allowance amount corresponds to the basic unemployment allowance.
Example:
Raimo, who lives in Lappeenranta, was unemployed and received daily allowance from 1 November 2024 to 31 May 2025. He accepts a full-time summer job in Turku lasting three months, from 1 June to 31 August 2025. Raimo decides to move to Turku, as he sees better chances of finding long-term work there.
Since Raimo’s daily commute would be more than three hours in total, and he is moving for the job, he is entitled to mobility allowance for a period of 45 days (paid for 5 days per week).
