The labour market subsidy amounts to
EUR 37.21 per day
Labour market subsidy
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Labour market subsidy (työmarkkinatuki) is an unemployment benefit paid by Kela. It gives you financial security while you look for work.
Can I get labour market subsidy?
You can get labour market subsidy if you are unemployed and
- are 18–64 years old and permanently residing in Finland
- you enter the labour market for the first time or you have not worked long enough, i.e. you do not meet the work requirement
- you can no longer receive basic or earnings-related unemployment allowance since your entitlement to these benefits has ended.
If you meet the work requirement, the unemployment benefit you receive is basic unemployment allowance or earnings-related unemployment allowance.
Read more about the work requirement and the other unemployment benefits.
You can receive labour market subsidy for as long as you are unemployed since its duration has not been restricted. However, when you apply for labour market subsidy we will investigate if you need it. This is called means-testing.
Qualifying period if you do not have a vocational qualification or higher education degree
If you have not completed vocational qualifications or a higher education degree, you must complete a qualifying period to be eligible for labour market subsidy. Upper secondary school education is not considered a vocational qualification. The qualifying period concerns jobseekers of all ages.
The qualifying period is 21 weeks, i.e. about 5 months. The qualifying period starts when
- you become unemployed and register as an unemployed jobseeker
- you have ended full-time studies and register as an unemployed jobseeker
- the period without benefit, i.e. the mandatory waiting period, ends
- the obligation of employment is met.
No qualifying period is required if labour market subsidy is paid immediately after basic or earnings-related unemployment allowance has been paid for the maximum period of time.
If you are under 25 years of age and the employment services have set an obligation of employment for you, the qualifying period does not start until you have met the obligation.
Read more about the obligation of employment for persons aged under 25 years.
The qualifying period is reduced by the following full calendar weeks:
- You have been in employment that meets the work requirement.
- You have worked as a self-employed person and the work can be included in the work requirement for self-employed persons.
- You have received unemployment benefits during the previous 2 years. The qualifying period is also reduced by weeks when you have otherwise been entitled to an unemployment benefit, but you have not received the benefit due to a waiting period, means-testing (income) for labour market subsidy or a qualifying period.
- You have received unemployment benefit from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland during the previous 2 years.
For instance, work done while completing a waiting period imposed by the employment services cannot be deducted from the qualifying period, however.
How much is the labour market subsidy?
Labour market subsidy is paid for 5 days a week (including mid-week holidays). You must pay tax on the labour market subsidy.
Estimate how much you can get
Use our calculator to check how much labour market subsidy you might get. The result is an estimate.
Income that reduces the labour market subsidy
The labour market subsidy is reduced by
- your own earnings
- your parents’ income if you live with them
- other income than wages, for instance benefits and capital income.
If you for instance receive a wage or salary from part-time work, the wage or salary reduces the amount of the labour market subsidy. In this case, you receive adjusted labour market subsidy.
If you live with your parents, their income may affect your labour market subsidy. If your parents’ income does not exceed EUR 1,781 per month in total, the reduction is not made. Each underage child who lives with your parents and whom the parents provide for increases the income limit by EUR 106 per month.
| Parents' family circumstances | In order for you to receive the full labour market subsidy, your parents can together earn a maximum of: |
|---|---|
No dependent children | EUR 1,781 per month |
| 1 child | EUR 1 887 per month |
| 2 children | EUR 1 993 per month |
| 3 children | EUR 2 099 per month |
| 4 children | EUR 2 205 per month |
| 5 children or more | EUR 2 311 per month |
If your parents' income exceeds the income limit, your labour market subsidy will be reduced by half of the income that exceeds the income limit (EUR 1,781 per month). However, you will still get at least 35 % your labour market subsidy.
| Parents' family circumstances | Combined income of the parents; if exceeded you get 35% of the labour market subsidy |
|---|---|
| No dependent children | EUR 2 821 per month |
| 1 child | EUR 2 927 per month |
| 2 children | EUR 3 033 per month |
| 3 children | EUR 3 139 per month |
| 4 children | EUR 3 245 per month |
| 5 children or more | EUR 3 351 per month |
You must report your parents’ income in your application for labour market subsidy if you live with them. If you do not provide this information, you will automatically be granted 35% of the labour market subsidy due to you.
Read how your parents’ divorce may affect your labour market subsidy.
If you can prove that your parents cannot support you financially, you can receive the labour market subsidy without reduction. Such a situation can occur for instance if your parents have large debt-related expenses.
If you participate in employment promoting services, you will receive the full labour market subsidy for this period even if you live with your parents.
Your parents income may affect your labour market subsidy
Check whether your parents’ income will affect your labour market subsidy. The result is an estimate.
If you receive other benefits, their amounts are usually directly deducted from the labour market subsidy you receive. If you receive a benefit that is paid out monthly, the daily amount of the benefit is calculated by dividing the benefit amount for the whole month by 21.5.
Your capital income and other income may reduce the amount of the labour market subsidy. They are thus incomes that are taken into account in the means-testing. Capital income includes for instance income from rent, forest holdings, interest and dividends (also dividends on equity savings accounts).
The amount of the labour market subsidy is also affected by
- informal care allowance
- compensations for family caregivers
- copyright royalties
- partial early old-age pension.
We also take into account capital income and other income than wages and salaries that you have received at other times than during the unemployment period. Regular income, for instance dividends, is periodised as income over a period of one year.
Kela uses primarily the data from the most recently finalised tax assessment as regards other income than wages and salaries. If your income has changed significantly, tell Kela about it.
However, you can have income up to a certain amount without any effect on your benefit.
Other income than wages and salaries does not reduce your labour market subsidy in the following situations:
- You have reached the age of 55 years and you have met the work requirement before becoming unemployed.
- You participate in employment promoting services.
Income limits for capital income and other income than wages and salaries
Capital income and other income that is taken into account in the means-testing have an income limit. You can have income up to the income limit without any effect on your benefit. The income limit for the means-testing is not the same as the exempt amount as regards wages and salaries. If you earn a wage or salary, you can receive adjusted unemployment benefit. The adjustment takes into account wages and salaries, while the means-testing takes into account all other income.
More on the impact of wages and salaries on the labour market subsidy.
Unemployed person living alone
If you live alone, the labour market subsidy is reduced by capital income and other income than wages and salaries that exceeds the income limit of EUR 311 per month. The full labour market subsidy is reduced by 75% of the income that exceeds the income limit.
Married or cohabiting person or parent of underage children
If you are married, cohabiting or in a registered partnership or the parent of underage children, the income limit is EUR 1,044 per month. The income limit is increased by EUR 130 for each dependent child. The full labour market subsidy is reduced by 50% of the income that exceeds the income limit.
Your spouse’s or partner’s income does not affect the amount of labour market subsidy due to you.
Report changes that affect the labour market subsidy
If you receive labour market subsidy, report the following on the unemployment status report in the OmaKela e-service:
- the number of hours and days that you have worked during the period of unemployment
- birth of a child or other changes in family circumstances
Also report any changes in the incomes that are taken into account for the means-testing.
When you report the changes, the benefit is paid to the correct amount and you also do not lose any benefit due to you. Read how to report changes in OmaKela.
If you do not notify changes of the above type, you may be paid the benefit without grounds and forced to pay it back later on. Read more about the recovery of overpaid benefits.