When to join the unemployment fund?

You can join the unemployment fund as soon as you have a job, provided that you are planning to stay in Finland after graduation. Unemployment fund membership is worthwhile, because you can accumulate weeks for the condition regarding previous employment over a long review period. If you find fixed-term employment with a good salary at the final stage of your studies, this will increase your earnings-related allowance sum, because the allowance is calculated on the basis of the latest accumulated salary from the past period of 52 weeks or longer.

During your studies, you can accumulate the condition regarding previous employment over a period of more than 28 months.

During studies, the normal review period of 28 months can be extended by a maximum of seven years (making a total of a maximum of nine years), because studying is an acceptable reason for being outside the labour market. For this reason, the condition regarding previous employment (52 weeks = approximately 1 year) can be fulfilled during studies (e.g., with four summer jobs, 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12 months). The condition can also be accumulated with work done during semesters; naturally, providing that the student is a member of the unemployment fund throughout this time. The condition regarding previous employment cannot be accumulated retrospectively.

The work needs not be connected to the field of education; any salary paid work that meets the following criteria is eligible:

The income-based employment condition accrues for the months for which at least EUR 930 per month is paid.

If the wages have been less than EUR 930 but at least EUR 465, the requirement to work accrues for half a month. The right to earnings-related unemployment allowance can be fulfilled, for example, for 10 whole and four half months

Please read more on TYJ's webpage.