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Unemployment benefits in Liechtenstein

In what situation can I claim?

The receipt of benefits is generally subject to the condition of unemployment or partial unemployment (short-time work) for which you are not to blame.

In the case of self-inflicted unemployment, payment of the daily allowance ceases for up to 60 days. However, after this period you are once again entitled to unemployment benefit.

What conditions do I need to meet?

Insured persons are entitled to receive unemployment benefit if they:

report to the Office of Economic Affairs in person for a review by no later than the first day on which they are applying for unemployment benefit and apply for the benefit and follow the legal control regulations from then on;
are available for job placements (e.g. in a position and prepared to take up any reasonable kind of work);
have a minimum insurance period of 12 months, i.e. in the last 2 years before unemployment began, they were in employment and therefore paid unemployment insurance contributions or were exempt from the contribution obligation due to illness or education;
are not entitled to an old-age pension;
are resident in Liechtenstein or are staying in Liechtenstein as part of a temporary activity (i.e. working in Liechtenstein as an employee for an employer with a registered office or branch in Liechtenstein);
have suffered a creditable loss of work.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Unemployment benefit (unemployment allowance)

The unemployment allowance amount depends on the wage, age and child maintenance obligations of the insured person. It is 80 % of the gross wage of the unemployed person and reduces to 70 % for insured persons who have no maintenance obligations, who receive a full daily allowance and are not disabled. The maximum insured annual salary is CHF 126,000.00.

The duration for claiming the unemployment allowance depends on the person's age and contribution period among other factors. The person is entitled to claim within a period of 2 years: 260 daily allowances for a contribution period of 12 months, 400 daily allowances for a contribution period of 18 months and from the age of 50, 500 daily allowances for a contribution period of 22 months and claiming an invalidity pension for a disability level of at least 40 %, 130 daily allowances for persons exempt from contributions, 200 daily allowances for persons under 25 and without a child maintenance obligation.

In the event that obligations are breached (e.g. obligations to cooperate), no benefits are granted for a specific period. Days within this are referred to as ‘suspension days’.

Benefits for partial unemployment (short-time work allowance)

Employees in the following professions are entitled to weather-dependent short-time work allowance: bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, quarry workers, road builders, roofers, pavers, stonemasons, tilers, landscape gardeners, plumbers, flushers, river and avalanche engineers, mudslide and landslide workers (rock fall workers) and foresters provided that the latter are not employed in an offshoot of a farm. Employees performing other work may be equated with those performing the jobs listed above if their partial unemployment is associated with one of the professions mentioned.

Other benefits

In the event of the employer's insolvency (bankruptcy) or unsuccessful foreclosure (execution), the insured persons will receive an insolvency benefit from unemployment insurance for the months (time limit) in which the employer no longer paid wages.

Jargon busters

Short-time work: short-time work is when working hours are reduced or there is a temporary suspension of the work for economic or weather-related reasons. In this case, a short-time work allowance is paid as a daily allowance.