Rights and obligations of the job seeker
According to Finnish law, unemployed job seekers have rights and obligations. Please note that if you neglect your obligations, you may lose your right to unemployment benefits for a fixed period or indefinitely.
Obligations of the job seeker
As a job seeker, you have the following responsibilities:
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In order to receive unemployment security, you must apply for a full-time job. Only a job seeker who receives a disability pension as a partial pension has the right to unemployment security, even if he is not applying for a full-time job.
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Another prerequisite for receiving unemployment security is that your job application is valid. Your job application remains valid when
- you deal with the South Häme employment area in the agreed manner and at the agreed time, and
- you follow the instructions and deadlines that we have given you in the E-services of Job Market Finland or in connection with other transactions.
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Keep your contact information up to date and be reachable. Report any changes to your contact information in the Services section of the Job Market or by calling the South-Häme employment area telephone service.
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Starting from September 1, 2026, job seekers are required to create and publish a job search profile on the Finnish Job Market within 15 business days of starting their job search. In addition, the profile must remain published for the entire duration of the job search.
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The employment authority may assign a job to a job seeker, which the job seeker is obliged to apply for. This means that if an employment counsellor, business counsellor or work ability counsellor assigns you a job to apply for, you must apply for that job. Report your application for a job at the Employment Market Information Centre by the deadline given by the employment counsellor.
Applying for a job that is designated for application by an employment authority does not fulfill the job search obligation.
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Accept the training offered by your employment counselor. Training offers require that you apply for labor market training and notify the South Häme employment area of your application within the specified time limit. Please notify us of your application for labor market training primarily through the Työmarkkinattori Asiointi service.
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Participate in interviews, job search discussions and supplementary job search discussions, as well as making and reviewing an employment plan, cross-sectoral employment plan, activation plan or integration plan.
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Apply for and participate in all employment-promoting services agreed upon in the plan or that we have offered you. Complete all tasks agreed upon in the plan, and notify us of their completion primarily through the Työmarkkinattori Asiointi service.
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If a job seeker under the age of 25 does not have a comprehensive or upper secondary school education that provides vocational qualifications, he or she must apply for at least two training places that start the following autumn and lead to a degree. The training applied for must be such that the person applying for the training meets the criteria for admission as a student.
If you do not have a secondary education, apply to at least two
- vocational training leading to a secondary education qualification or
- upper secondary education for young people.
Have you completed your high school diploma?
If you have completed your matriculation examination, apply to at least two education programs that lead to a vocational degree, for example, a secondary vocational school or a university.
Are you unable to complete education leading to a degree?
You can also fulfill your application obligation by applying
- training for work and independent living,
- workforce training acquired jointly with the employer or arranged in a similar manner, or
- other similar training.
However, you must have agreed this with us in your employment plan or replacement plan. The condition is that you have a disability or illness that prevents you from moving on to education leading to a degree.
The plan can also include an agreement that we will consider applying for training places at a time other than the start of the fall semester.
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Part-time job seekers currently have the same job search obligation as other job seekers: during the month, the job seeker must apply for four job opportunities, unless the employment authority has reduced their job search obligation or exempted them from the job search obligation.
Neglect of obligations
As an unemployed job seeker, you have responsibilities that are defined in the employment plan drawn up with the employment authority. Act in accordance with the employment plan and notify the employment authority of the implementation of the plan in the manner prescribed by it. Failure to implement the plan may have the following effects on your unemployment security.
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From March 1, 2026, failure to apply for a job will have the following consequences for the job seeker:
- If you neglect something that is binding on you, such as a scheduled appointment, a job search obligation, or another task agreed upon in your plan, you can receive a seven-day mandatory waiting period for the first neglect. You will not receive unemployment benefits during the mandatory waiting period.
- If you neglect an obligation for a second time, you may be subject to a six-week work obligation. This means that you will only receive unemployment benefits after you have been working or participating in an employment promotion service for at least six weeks.
The employment authority will continue to calculate the number of neglects based on how many times the job seeker has neglected to look for work during the last 12 months.
The employment authority will remind you of appointments and deadlines via text message. You will receive a reminder 24 hours before a mandatory client appointment and 36 hours before the deadline for the assigned task.
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From 1 March 2026, the employment authority may terminate a job seeker's job search immediately if he or she:
- fails to submit the required documents by the due date. or
- fails to participate in the initial interview, job search discussion or supplementary job search discussion agreed upon in the plan.
When your job search expires, you must register as a job seeker again to receive unemployment benefits again.
The employment authority will remind you of appointments and deadlines via text message. You will receive a reminder 24 hours before a mandatory client appointment and 36 hours before the deadline for the assigned task.
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Job seeker's rights
When you have registered as a job seeker, you have the right to
- public employment services, which are determined based on your need for services, and
- unemployment security if you meet the conditions for receiving it.
You make a plan with our employment advisor, which records the goals of your job search and the tasks that will help you achieve your goals. You evaluate the plan and its implementation every three months with your employment advisor.
Your right to receive unemployment security is affected by whether you work as a wage earner or you are an entrepreneur, self-employed or a student. The amount and duration of the work you do is also important.
You can get unemployment security although
- you study part-time,
- you are completing so-called short-term studies that last a maximum of six months,
- you do volunteer or freelance work that is unpaid, ordinary and of general interest,
- you work part-time,
- you are a part-time entrepreneur or work for a short period in a contract relationship, or
- you start a business or find employment in your own job. The main or secondary activity of business activity or self-employment is not evaluated during the first four months after starting the activity, if it was started while unemployed.
However, you must notify us in advance of changes in your situation so that we can check your right to the unemployment security.
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