Starting a new job? Here’s what you need to know
Starting a new job often affects your earnings-related allowance as well. In this article, you will find guidance for different situations, including how to notify the authorities when your employment begins, how to submit your application, how part-time work affects your allowance, and what to know about mobility allowance and maintaining your unemployment fund membership.
Notify the employment authority about the new job
If you start a part-time job or a full-time job that lasts more than two weeks, notify the employment authority that your employment has begun. The duration of the employment and your working hours may affect your entitlement to earnings-related unemployment allowance.
Submit your application for the correct period
If you start a full-time job lasting more than two weeks after a period of unemployment, your entitlement to earnings-related allowance ends when the employment begins. Check the start date in your employment contract and submit your final application up to the day before the employment starts. Attach a copy of your new employment contract to the application.
Final application when starting a full-time job
Maija has been receiving earnings-related allowance during a period of summer unemployment. Her application cycle has run from the 20th day of one month to the 19th day of the following month. She submitted her previous application for the period 20 June 2026–19 July 2026.
Maija has secured a full-time teaching position, and both the employment and salary payments begin on 1 August 2026. She can receive earnings-related allowance until 31 July 2026.
Therefore, she can submit her final application no earlier than 31 July 2026 for the period 20 July 2026–31 July 2026.
If you start a part-time job or a full-time job lasting no more than two weeks, submit your application according to your normal application schedule, even if the employment begins in the middle of the application period.
Attach a copy of your employment contract to the application. Indicate the hours you have worked and your pay date in the application. If the pay date is not yet known, you may provide an estimate.
Instructions for reporting working hours can be found in Otenetti.
Remember to notify the employment authority when your work begins and ensure that your job search remains valid. A valid job search is also a requirement for receiving adjusted earnings-related allowance.
Application when starting a part-time job
Joonas has been claiming earnings-related allowance during the summer. He has obtained a part-time job that begins on 13 August 2026.
Joonas submits his earnings-related allowance applications on a calendar-month basis. His previous application covered the period from 1 July 2026 to 31 July 2026.
Joonas can submit his next application according to his normal application schedule for the period 1 August 2026 to 31 August 2026. In the application, he must report the hours he has worked starting from 13 August 2026.
When is work considered full-time or part-time?
Work is considered full-time if the working hours exceed 80% of the maximum working time applied in the sector.
For example, if the maximum working time in the sector is 38.25 hours per week, the work is considered full-time if the working hours exceed 30.6 hours per week.
If the working hours are no more than 80% of the sector’s maximum working time, the work is considered part-time. During part-time employment, you may be entitled to adjusted earnings-related allowance if the other eligibility conditions are met.
Read more about the conditions for adjusted allowance
Part-time work and adjusted daily allowanceThe workplace is far away – can I receive support for commuting?
You may be entitled to mobility allowance if you start a job located a long distance from your home.
You may receive mobility allowance if you
- received earnings-related allowance before the start of the employment (on the day preceding the employment)
- start an employment relationship lasting at least two months or participate in work-related training lasting at least two months
- have a daily commute exceeding three hours in full-time work or two hours in part-time work
If you move to another locality because of work or work-related training, the commuting time is calculated from your actual place of residence before the move. Therefore, moving because of work does not prevent you from receiving mobility allowance.
You may also apply for mobility allowance if you move abroad for work.
Read more about the conditions for mobility allowance
Mobility allowance is a benefit paid by an unemployment fund to support starting employment or work‑related training when the workplace or training location is far from home.
Mobility allowanceShould you keep your membership active?
In general, it is advisable to continue your unemployment fund membership when starting a new job. Maintaining your membership can be important if your employment later ends or if you are laid off.
If you terminate your membership and rejoin an unemployment fund only at a later date, your entitlement to earnings-related allowance will generally not be preserved. In that case, you may need to meet the membership and employment conditions again before earnings-related allowance can be paid.