TE Services (municipal employment services)
TE Services (TE-palvelut) moved from the state to municipalities and employment areas on 1 January 2025. Jobseekers register through Job Market Finland.
Detailed explanation
Public employment services have been a cornerstone of Finnish labor market policy since the 1960s. The system connects jobseekers with employers, provides training opportunities, and supports entrepreneurship. On 1 January 2025, responsibility moved from the state TE Offices to municipalities and employment areas, though the core services remain similar.
The services cover multiple functions. Through Job Market Finland, Finland's largest official job portal, they provide career counseling and guidance, fund vocational training and reskilling programs, support business startups, and confirm your jobseeker status for unemployment benefits. Municipal employment services also play a crucial role in integrating immigrants into Finnish society and the labor market through the integration program (kotoutumissuunnitelma).
For employers, municipal employment services offer recruitment assistance, salary subsidies for hiring unemployed workers, and information about the Finnish labor market. The services maintain close connections with educational institutions and businesses to ensure training programs match labor market needs.
How it affects expats
- Integration plan: As a new immigrant, you're entitled to an integration plan that includes Finnish language training and employment support
- Free Finnish courses: Municipal employment services fund integration training that combines language learning with work-life skills
- Job search support: Access to Finland's official job bank and personal employment counseling
- Unemployment benefits: You must register as a jobseeker with your municipality's employment services (Job Market Finland) to receive unemployment benefits
- Career guidance: Free services to assess your skills, plan education, and find work in the Finnish job market
- Credential recognition: Guidance on getting your foreign qualifications recognized in Finland
- Wage subsidy: Employers may receive subsidies for hiring you, making you a more attractive candidate
How to register as a jobseeker
- Create an account on the Job Market Finland portal (tyomarkkinatori.fi)
- Register as a jobseeker if you're looking for work or want to access integration services
- Complete your profile with your education, work experience, and language skills
- Attend an initial interview (online or in-person) with an employment services advisor
- Receive your integration plan or employment plan based on your situation
- Follow your plan's requirements to maintain your jobseeker status and benefit eligibility
- Report your job search activities regularly through the online service
Official links
- Job Market Finland: tyomarkkinatori.fi
- Job Market Finland in English: tyomarkkinatori.fi
Related terms
- A-kassa (Unemployment fund): An unemployment fund you can join to potentially receive earnings-related unemployment allowance
- Kela: Finland's Social Insurance Institution
- Collective agreement (TES): Industry-wide minimum employment conditions in Finland, set by collective bargaining