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Unemployment Insurance in EU->Finland->Unemployment Insurance Funds
Unemployment insurance Funds in Finland
It is voluntary to join a unemployment Insurance Fund ("Työttömyyskassa") in Finland. However approximately 85% of employees choose to become member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund.
If you are a member you will able to get earnings-related unemployment benefit in case of unemployment, instead of the must lower basic flat-rate unemployment allowance offered by KELA.
Read more about unemployment insurance in Finland.
About the Unemployment Insurance Funds
There are 12 Unemployment insurance Funds for wage-earners and 1 for (full-time) self-employed.
Running a business part-time is not an obstacle to joining or belonging to a wage-earners’ unemployment fund. You can be classed as a part-time entrepreneur if, for example, you work full-time and run a business on the side.
Of the 12 Funds some are open for everyone regardless of job or education, others are sector specific which means working in a particular field is a requirement for joining. Some require a specific training.
The amount of membership fee depends on the fund you are a member of and for one fund (Julkisten ja hyvinvointialojen työttömyyskassa – The Public and Welfare Sectors’ Unemployment Fund) of your salary. Unemployment fund membership fees are tax-deductible.
Unemployment Funds who are open for all wage-earners:
- Aaria Työttömyyskassa (Aaria Unemployment Fund). Has approx. 100,000 members. Membership fee is EUR 78 per year or EUR 6.5 per month.
- Avoin työttömyyskassa A-kassa (Open Unemployment Fund A-kassa). Has approx. 252,000 members. Membership fee is EUR 96 per year or EUR 8 per month.
- Työttömyyskassa Pro - The unemployment fund Pro. Membership fee is EUR 96 per year or EUR 8 per month.
- YTK Työttömyyskassa - YTK Unemployment Fund (approx. 535,521 members). Membership fee is EUR 102 per year or EUR 8.5 per month.
Unemployment Funds who are open for specific groups of wage-earners:
- ERKO - Erityiskoulutettujen työttömyyskassa – Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees ERKO (approx. 91,000 members). Membership fee is EUR 68.5 per year.
You can become a member if you have a higher education degree or other corresponding specialized degree or you are studying to receive such a degree - Julkisten ja hyvinvointialojen työttömyyskassa – The Public and Welfare Sectors’ Unemployment Fund. Membership fee is 0.40% of all your earned income subject to withholding tax.
- KOKO-kassa (Korkeasti koulutettujen kassa) – The Unemployment fund for highly educated KOKO (approx. 270,000 members). Membership fee is EUR 63 per year or EUR 5.25 per month.
You can join KOKO if you have a university degree or equivalent special qualification, or you are studying to obtain such an education, or you are employed as an official, a senior official, a supervisor or an expert. - LL-kassa (Lakimiesten ja Lääkärien työttömyyskassa) – Unemployment Fund for Lawyers and Medical Practitioners (approx. 34,000 members). Membership fee is EUR 45 per year.
Membership is open to veterinarians, dentists, doctors and persons who have completed a law degree or are studying for these degrees. - Opetus ja tiede -työttömyyskassa - The Unemployment Fund for Education and Science (approx. 105,000 members). Membership fee is EUR 60 per year or EUR 5 per month.
You can become member if you are a salaried employee who has completed a university degree, or who works in the field of education, teaching, culture, psychology or research or in development and advocacy tasks in these fields. - Palvelualojen työttömyyskassa - Unemployment fund for service sectors. Membership fee is EUR 84 per year or EUR 7 per month.
- Supertk (Super työttömyyskassa) - Super Unemployment Fund (approx. 60,000 members). Membership fee is EUR 84 per year or EUR 7 per month.
You can become member if you work as an employee in the social and health care sector, early childhood education, or educational services, or have vocational training for these sectors or you are employed by a church, other religious organization, or a community providing services in that sector, or have vocational training for these sectors. - Terveydenhuoltoalan työttömyyskassa - Healthcare unemployment fund. Membership fee is EUR 42 per year or EUR 3.5 per month.
You can join if you have completed a professional qualification in social work, health, education or rehabilitation or are studying for a professional qualification in these fields.
Switch Unemployment Insurance Fund
If you switch from one unemployment fund to another, the time you accumulated towards the membership requirement and the employment requirement with your previous unemployment fund can be transferred to the new Unemployment Fund if the gap between the two memberships is no longer than one month.
Finnish words
Unemployment Insurance = Työttömyysvakuutus
Unemployment Insurance Fund = Työttömyyskassa
Unemployment benefit = Työttömyysetuudet
This page was last updated on April 24, 2025.
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Unemployment Insurance Funds in Finland
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⇒EU social security coordination
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Finnish unemployment benefits in EU context
- Transferring periods of work and insurance from another EEA CountryAs an EU citizen you can transfer acquired rights from Unemployment Insurance between Finland and other EU/EEA contries and vice versa.
Finland has as one of only few EU countries (Belgium and Denmark are the others) a requirement saying that you need to work 1 month or been self-employed for at least four months in Finland before you can use your PD U1 document.
Also there is a requirement saying that you must become member of an finnish unemployment insurance fund within 1 month after moving to Finland or after the job ended in the other EU/EEA country.
And you have to use a PD U1 Form or the countries involved must be able to exchange the information via EESSI. Read more here..
If you come from Sweden or Denmark who have similar voluntary unemployment fund systems, work can only be taken into account if you have been member of an voluntary unemployment fund in Sweden or Denmark when your work was done. If you only had the right to basic unemployment benefit from Alfa-kassan in Sweden, it can not be taken into account by the Unemployment Insurance Fund in Finland.
If you come back to Finland from another nordic country within 5 years there will be easier access to use the aggregation rule. Read more in this article.
In all cases your unemployment benefit from the finnish Unemployment Insurance Fund is calculated (only) from your earnings in Finland. - Transferring unemployment benefitsIf you are an EU citizen you can under certain conditions go to another EU country to look for work and continue to receive your unemployment benefits from Finland. And you have to use a PD U2 Form. Read more here..
- Unemployment benefits coverageAccording to OECD Finland has a net replacement of previous in-work income of 57 percent after 2 months unemployment. For all EEA countries the coverage is between 33 to 86 percent. Read more here..
- Have residence in another EU country but work in Finland?EU citizens working in Finland must as a generel rule be insured against unemployment in Finland. Be aware that earnings-related unemployment insurance is voluntary in Finland, and requires that one become member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund ("Työttömyyskassa"). However workers in Finland may be insured by the country of residence if they are posted to Finland or work in two or more EU/EEA countries at a time. In these situations you can not your self decide where to have unemployment Insurance, but you (or your employer) must apply for a PD A1 document which states in which country you are covered by social security, including Unemployment Insurance. Special rule also apply for cross-border workers ("frontier workers").
- Third-country Nationals working in FinlandNON-EEA citizens can become member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund ("Työttömyyskassa") in Finland, if they have a residence permit with a right to work in Finland.
In order to get earnings-related Unemployment benefits your work-permit must not be limited to a specific employer, and you must be able to meet the requirements (see above). Other restrictions on the right to work, such as how much you are permitted to work or the fields and tasks you are allowed to work in will normally not prevent you to become member of an unemployment fund and receive earnings-related unemployment benefits. It makes no difference whether the residence permit is temporary or permanent in terms of becoming member of an unemployment fund and eligibility to earnings-related unemployment benefits.
Your citizenship does not affect your right to Kela benefits, including a basic flat-rate unemployment benefit.
However, in order to get unemployment benefits from Kela you must have a residence permit granted by the Finnish Immigration Service (migri.fi), if you are required to get one, and you must meet the work requirement of 12 months work.