Ansiosidonnainen: earnings-related unemployment allowance
Finland's highest unemployment benefit tier, paying 50-70% of previous salary to qualified unemployment fund members.
2026 reform: The general social security benefit (yleistuki) that replaced Kela's basic unemployment allowance and labour market subsidy on 1 May 2026 did not change the earnings-related allowance described here. It is still paid by unemployment funds under the same eligibility rules; the reform only affected the means-tested benefits paid by Kela.
Detailed explanation
The earnings-related allowance is designed to help maintain your standard of living during unemployment rather than just providing basic subsistence. The amount you receive depends on your previous earnings, typically replacing 50-70% of your salary (with higher replacement rates for lower incomes and caps for very high earners).
To receive ansiosidonnainen, you must meet two main conditions:
1. Unemployment fund membership: You must be a member of an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa, often called A-kassa) while you meet the work requirement below.
2. Employment condition: You must have worked 12 months during the past 28 months, meeting the statutory hours and earnings conditions.
The allowance is paid by your unemployment fund, not by Kela. Each fund handles its own members' claims, though the municipal employment services must confirm your job seeker status before benefits can be paid.
How it affects expats
- Join a fund early: Membership only counts from when you join, so sign up when you start working
- Previous country work: Work history from EU/EEA countries may count toward the employment condition
- Higher benefit: Usually more than the general social security benefit, especially if you had a good salary
- Fund membership fee: A small monthly cost (about 3-11 EUR) that's worth paying for this protection
- Continuous membership: If you change jobs, maintain your fund membership without gaps
- Language: Most funds provide service in Finnish and English
Calculating your benefit
The earnings-related allowance consists of:
Basic component: The same base amount as Kela's means-tested benefit, yleistuki (approximately 37.21 EUR/day in 2026)
Earnings-related component: A percentage of the difference between your daily wage and the basic component
For the part of your monthly salary up to 3,534.95 EUR (2026):
- 45% of the difference between your daily wage and the basic component is added to your benefit
For the part of your monthly salary above 3,534.95 EUR (2026):
- 20% is added to your benefit
Step-down: The allowance falls to 80% of the original amount after 40 paid days (about two months) and to 75% after 170 paid days (about eight months).
Example calculation: If your monthly salary was 3,000 EUR, the salary is first reduced by 3.83% (2026 deduction for pension and insurance contributions) to 2,885 EUR, giving a daily wage of approximately 134 EUR:
- Basic component: 37.21 EUR
- Earnings-related component: 45% of (134-37) = 44 EUR
- Total daily allowance: approximately 81 EUR (about 1,740 EUR/month) for the first 40 paid days
- After 40 paid days (80%): approximately 65 EUR/day (about 1,390 EUR/month)
- After 170 paid days (75%): approximately 61 EUR/day (about 1,300 EUR/month)
Maximum payment duration
The maximum duration depends on your work history and age:
- 300 days if your work history is 3 years or less
- 400 days if your work history is more than 3 years
- 500 days if you were at least 58 when you met the work requirement and have at least 5 years of work in the past 20 years
Your maximum is set when payment starts.
After exhausting your days, you may be eligible for the general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela, which on 1 May 2026 replaced the former labour market subsidy (työmarkkinatuki) and basic unemployment allowance.
Choosing an unemployment fund
Union-affiliated funds:
- Automatically available when joining a trade union
- Often seamless integration with union membership
- May offer additional member services
General funds (like YTK):
- Independent of any union
- Open to workers in any field
- Often lower membership fees
- Good option if you don't want union membership
How to apply
- Register with the municipal employment services immediately when you become unemployed
- Contact your unemployment fund to initiate your claim
- Provide required documents: employment certificate, salary information
- Submit ongoing applications: Typically every 4 weeks during unemployment
- Report job search activity as required by the municipal employment services
Our guide to unemployment benefit in Finland compares the earnings-related allowance with Kela's basic benefit.
Related terms
- A-kassa (Unemployment Fund): An unemployment fund you can join to potentially receive earnings-related unemployment allowance
- Työttömyysturva (Unemployment Benefit): Finland's unemployment protection system providing financial support during job searches through various benefit types
- Peruspäiväraha (Basic Allowance): Former basic unemployment allowance, replaced by yleistuki on 1 May 2026
- TE Services: Municipal employment services and Job Market Finland