Unemployed in summer 2026? Read this!
During the summer, more applications than usual are submitted to the fund. If summer‑time unemployment applies to you, take a moment to review the instructions below – they will help you manage the application process smoothly.
What can I do before becoming unemployed?
We recommend taking care of the following matters before your unemployment begins.
-
1
Register as a jobseeker
Register as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment authority no later than on your first day of unemployment. You can also register in advance, but registration cannot be made retroactively. Please note that you must register as an unemployed jobseeker also in cases of lay-offs and part-time work.
Make sure to explain your situation fully to the employment authority. Always inform them if, for example, you have ongoing studies, run a business, or act as an informal carer.
Registration as an unemployed jobseeker is done via the Job Market Finland (Työmarkkinatori) E-services.
-
2
Familiarise yourself with Otenetti and update your contact details
We recommend familiarising yourself with our online service, Otenetti, even before submitting your first application. Please check at least the following:
- that your contact details are up to date
- that your bank account number is correct
- your communication settings
- the tax card information available to the fund
If your tax card information is missing or if you wish to change your tax rate, you can order a revised tax card calculated specifically for benefits. Please note that based on a wage tax card, the withholding tax is always at least 25%. You can find more information about the taxation of benefits via the button below.
-
3
Check the most commonly required attachments
Read the list of the most commonly required attachments on our website and gather the necessary documents in advance. You can find the list under the link below.
When can I submit my first application?
You can submit your first application at the earliest once you have been unemployed for at least two full calendar weeks (Monday–Sunday). However, the application must be submitted within three months.
When filling in the application, make sure that the start date of the application period is the first day of unemployment. If the application form suggests an incorrect start date, you can change it using the “Edit application period” button.
Unemployment begins on 1 June (or on May 31)
If your first day of unemployment is 1 June 2026, you can submit your first application at the earliest on 14 June 2026 for the period 1.6.2026–14.6.2026. You may also apply this instruction if your first day of unemployment is 31 May 2026. In that case, you can submit your first application for the period 31.5.2026–14.6.2026 or in one go for the period 31.5.2025–30.6.2026.
You can also submit the application in one go for a longer period, for example for the entire month of June. In that case, the application can be submitted at the earliest on 30 June 2026 for the period 1.6.2026–30.6.2026. We recommend submitting the application for the entire month of June at once if:
- you have income from part-time or occasional work (also if the work was done before the unemployment began and the pay date falls within the application period)
- you are engaged in business activities
- holiday compensation from a full-time job that has ended is paid on 30 June 2026 or later
Unemployment begins on 1 July
If your first day of unemployment is 1 July 2026, you can submit your first application at the earliest on 19 July 2026 for the period 1.7.2026–19.7.2026.
You can also submit the application in one go for a longer period, for example for the entire month of July. In that case, the application can be submitted at the earliest on 31 July 2026 for the period 1.7.2026–31.7.2026. We recommend submitting the application for the entire month of July at once if:
- you have income from part-time or occasional work (also if the work was done before the unemployment began and the pay date falls within the application period)
- you are engaged in business activities
- holiday compensation from a full-time job that has ended is paid on 31 July 2026 or later
Unemployment begins on 1 August
If your first day of unemployment is 1 August 2026, you can submit your first application at the earliest on 16 August 2026 for the period 1.8.2026–16.8.2026. If your unemployment ends before 16 August 2026, submit the application only for the period during which you were unemployed.
You can also submit the application in one go for a longer period, for example for the entire month of August. In that case, the application can be submitted at the earliest on 31 August 2026 for the period 1.8.2026–31.8.2026. We recommend submitting the application for the entire month of August at once if:
- you have income from part-time or occasional work (also if the work was done before the unemployment began and the pay date falls within the application period)
- you are engaged in business activities
- holiday compensation from a full-time job that has ended is paid on 31 August 2026 or later
Need help filling in the application?
You can find illustrated instructions for filling in the application in our Otenetti instructions.
What attachments are required?
Because applicants’ situations vary, it is difficult to predict all the required supporting documents in advance. In some cases, a needed document only becomes clear during the processing of the application. However, below we have listed the most common documents required for the first application.
Most commonly required attachments for the first application
For the first application, the most commonly required supporting documents are:
- Employment contract / official appointment for the job that has ended, or other documentation of the terms of employment if the information is not available in the Incomes Register (e.g. duration of employment, reason for termination, weekly working hours, pay basis). Please make sure the document clearly shows the required details.
- Payslip for holiday compensation, which may speed up the processing of the application if you receive holiday compensation when your employment ends.
- Notice of termination, if you have been dismissed, or notice of lay-off, if you have been laid off.
- Declaration form for home care allowance paid to a spouse, if your spouse receives the allowance. You can find the form on our website under Forms. Alternatively, you may provide the information requested on the form via a message in Otenetti.
- The most recent confirmed personal tax decision, if you are a part-time entrepreneur. If the 2025 taxation has not yet been confirmed, please submit your 2024 tax decision and inform us (for example via an Otenetti message) that a more recent tax decision is not yet available.
- If you have received a performance-based bonus or other bonus, we recommend submitting the payslip for the paid bonus along with an explanation of the period during which it was earned and whether it is based on your own work input and performance.
- We may need a statement of weekly working hours actually worked if you were paid hourly based on actual hours worked and if the actual hours differ from those agreed in the employment contract. This may apply, for example, to adult education centre teachers if cancelled or additional courses have affected the actual number of working hours.
If we need additional information while processing your application, you will receive a request for additional details via a message in Otenetti. We will also send you a text message to notify you that you have received a request for additional information in Otenetti.
You can find more information about applying the allowance and a more comprehensive list of required attachments by clicking the button below.
Does holiday compensation affect the allowance?
What is holiday compensation?
- Holiday compensation is compensation for unused annual leave days. Holiday compensation paid from full-time employment is periodised over a set period, and no daily allowance is paid during this period. Holiday compensation from part-time employment is not periodised but is taken into account through adjustment.
- Holiday compensation is not the same as holiday bonus pay: a holiday bonus from full-time employment does not affect the daily allowance, but a holiday bonus from part-time employment is adjusted in the same way as holiday compensation.
What is the waiting period?
- The waiting period is applied when you apply for the allowance first time or when you meet the employment condition again.
- The waiting period equals seven working days of unemployment, and no daily allowance is paid for this period.
- The waiting period cannot run at the same time as the period over which the holiday compensation is periodised. If a waiting period is applied, it will start only after the holiday compensation period has ended.
Holiday compensation paid when a full-time employment ends is periodised. No earnings-related daily allowance is paid during the periodisation, and it postpones the start of entitlement to the allowance. The periodisation of holiday compensation usually begins on the day following the end of the employment relationship.
If holiday compensation has been paid or will be paid to you, please indicate the payment date of the holiday compensation in your application. If you have used all your annual leave during the employment and no holiday compensation is paid, please report this as well in your application.
Holiday compensation may also prevent the payment of daily allowance even if the full-time employment is still valid. This may occur, for example, if a person is laid off or has a period comparable to a lay-off that is part of the employment relationship and is paid holiday compensation based on full-time employment during the employment. This situation is typical, for example, for adult education centre teachers during an unpaid summer break.
You can find more information about the periodisation of holiday compensation by clicking the button below.
Example of the periodisation of holiday compensation and the waiting period
Senja’s full-time employment ends on 30 May 2026, and her first day of unemployment is 31 May 2026.
Senja submits her first application for the period 31.5.2026–14.6.2026. She is paid holiday compensation of EUR 3,000 for unused annual leave on 12 June 2026.
Senja’s calculated daily wage is EUR 151 per day. The periodisation period for the holiday compensation is calculated by dividing the amount of holiday compensation by the calculated daily wage:
3000€ / 151€ = 19.87 days -> rounded down to 19 days
In Senja’s case, the holiday compensation is periodised for the period 31.5.2026–25.6.2026.
If the employment condition is met for the first time or is met again, a waiting period corresponding to seven working days of unemployment will also be applied. The waiting period is set after the periodisation of the holiday compensation, meaning for the period 26.6.2026–6.7.2026. The daily allowance can be paid starting from 7 July 2026.
NOTE:
The calculation uses example figures. The exact periodisation period of the holiday compensation can only be calculated during the processing of the application, once the amount of holiday compensation is known and the calculated daily wage has been determined.
How much unemployment allowance will I receive?
The amount of earnings-related unemployment allowance is based on your salary income before unemployment. It is calculated based on the wages that have contributed to meeting the 12‑month employment condition. The table below shows examples of the amount of earnings‑related allowance at different monthly salary levels (gross).
| Monthly salary | Average earnings-related allowance / month |
|---|---|
| 2500 € | 1522 € |
| 3500 € | 1955 € |
| 4500 € | 2189 € |
Please note that earnings‑related unemployment allowance is paid at the full rate for the first 40 payment days of the earnings‑related allowance period. After this, the allowance amount is reduced to 80%. Once the allowance has been paid for a total of 170 payment days, the amount is further reduced to 75% of the original level.
Read more about the amount and staggering of the allowance: Amount of earnings‑related daily allowance.
You can estimate the amount of your earnings‑related unemployment allowance using the calculator available on our website.
Daily allowance calculator
You can estimate the amount of your upcoming daily allowance by using our daily allowance calculator.
Calculate an estimate of your daily allowanceWhat if I don’t meet the employment condition again?
If you have previously received earnings‑related unemployment allowance and you do not meet the employment condition again when you apply for earnings‑related allowance, payment of the allowance can usually be continued in accordance with your previous allowance period. This requires that:
- the maximum duration of 300/400/500 days has not yet been reached for that allowance period, and
- the other general conditions for entitlement to the allowance are met (for example, your job search is valid and active).
Example of the daily allowance when the employment condition is not met again
Joonas last applied for earnings‑related unemployment allowance in summer 2025 for the period 1 June–31 July 2025. His employment condition was met on 31 May 2025, and payment of the allowance began on 24 June 2025 after the periodisation of holiday compensation and the waiting period. During Joonas’s previous allowance period:
- the allowance was paid for 28 payment days (24 June–31 July 2025)
- the maximum duration was 400 days, meaning 372 payment days remained available
- the full daily allowance amount was €83.00 per day
Joonas worked in a fixed‑term employment relationship from 1 August 2025 to 30 May 2026. During that period, he accumulated 10 months towards the employment condition, so the 12‑month employment condition is not met again when he applies for allowance starting from 31 May 2026. Since payment days remain from the previous earnings‑related allowance period, the allowance can be paid on that basis.
Joonas is paid holiday compensation, which is periodised for the period 31 May 2026–22 June 2026. Payment of the daily allowance starts on 23 June 2026. No waiting period is applied, as the employment condition is not met again in this case.
Because Joonas has already received allowance for 28 payment days in summer 2025, the full allowance is paid for a further 12 payment days. Therefore:
- the allowance is paid at the full rate from 23 June to 8 July 2026
- the allowance is reduced to 80% starting from 9 July 2026
If unemployment continues, the allowance level will be further reduced to 75% starting from 7 January 2027.
When will my application be processed?
During the summer, the number of applications increases significantly, which may slow down processing. We have prepared for peak periods by hiring additional resources and making other working time arrangements.
Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. The number of applications arriving at the fund each day affects processing times, which is why we are unable to give an exact processing time estimate by phone or message. To ensure we can serve you as smoothly as possible, we kindly ask that you contact us through only one service channel at a time. When the same matter is submitted through multiple channels, it may slow down the processing of all cases.
You can check the general processing status on the front page of our website, where we regularly update information on current processing times. We also provide weekly updates on the summer processing situation on our social media channels.
You can see the status of your own application (received, being processed, awaiting additional information, or processed) in Otenetti under Application monitoring → Application processing status.
You will receive a text message notification about the payment date of your benefit once your application has been processed. This requires that you have enabled text message notifications in Otenetti.
When can I submit a follow-up application?
A follow‑up application is generally submitted for a period of four calendar weeks or one month starting from the end date of the previous decision. However, each case is always assessed individually, and when processing your first application we will determine the appropriate application rhythm for you. Once your first application has been processed, you will receive an information message in Otenetti telling you which period your follow‑up applications should cover.
The follow‑up application is submitted in Otenetti in the same place as the first application, under Apply for earnings‑related unemployment allowance. The system will automatically offer the correct type of application form for you to complete.
What if I start a new job in the fall?
If you start a new full‑time job in the autumn, apply for earnings‑related unemployment allowance up until the day your employment begins. Check the date from which salary payments for the employment start and apply for the allowance up to the previous day. We recommend attaching your employment contract to the application. Remember to also notify the employment authorities of the start of your employment.
If you start part‑time work in the autumn, you can continue applying for earnings‑related unemployment allowance according to the application rhythm used during the summer. Attach your employment contract to the application. Also report the part‑time work to the employment authorities and keep your job search active.
Also familiarise yourself with the unemployment benefit glossary and practical examples
-
Unemployment benefit glossary
Unemployment benefits include many terms and concepts that may be difficult to understand. That’s why… -
Practical examples
We have compiled practical examples on this page – the very questions we are asked…