Student – How to Accrue Unemployment Security through Summer Work
Many students work during the summer, but did you know that summer jobs can also help you accrue unemployment benefits? It’s worth building up your unemployment security while studying, as this may entitle you to earnings-related daily allowance after graduation if you are unable to find a suitable job. The earnings-related allowance is generally significantly higher than the basic benefit paid by Kela.
How Can I Accrue Unemployment Security?
To qualify for earnings-related daily allowance, you must be a member of an unemployment fund and meet the employment requirement during your membership.
The length of the employment requirement is 12 calendar months.
You accrue the employment requirement:
- by 1 month if your salary is at least €930 in a calendar month
- by 0.5 months if your salary is between €465 and €929.99 in a calendar month.
Regular earned income (such as monthly or hourly wages) contributes to the employment requirement. Holiday compensation (lomakorvaus) and holiday bonuses (lomaraha) are not included.
You can read more about the eligibility criteria for daily allowance here.
As a Student, You Can Accrue Unemployment Security Over a Longer Period
Summer work alone may not be enough to meet the full employment requirement, but each month in which you earn enough salary counts. You can accumulate the employment requirement over a longer period – for example, by working during the academic year or in future summers.
The employment requirement must normally be met within a 28-month review period. However, as a student, you can get additional time to accrue the requirement. Studies can extend the 28-month period by up to seven years, as long as you were not able to work due to your studies during that time.
How Do I Join an Unemployment Fund?
You can join the Unemployment Fund of Social and Healthcare Workers if:
- you are studying in the field of social services, health care, education, or rehabilitation or
- you already have a qualification in one of these fields and
- you are working for pay alongside your studies.
The type of job you do does not matter.
It’s best to join the fund as soon as your employment begins, so you can start accruing the employment requirement right away. You may also submit your application before your job starts – your membership will then begin on your first working day. Just remember to inform the fund of that first day.
If you missed the chance to join right when you started working, you can still apply as long as your employment contract is valid. You cannot join the fund retroactively.
Instructions for joining: Join here.
How Much Does Membership Cost?
The unemployment fund membership fee is €42 per year (€3.50 per month for the remaining months of the year). There are no exemptions from the fund fee.
If you also join one of the following unions, the union will pay your fund membership fee for you:
- Tehy ry
- Suomen Fysioterapeutit ry
- Suomen Toimintaterapeutit ry
- Suomen Työterveyshoitajaliitto ry
If you wish to join both the fund and a union listed above, contact the relevant union. You can use the same form to apply for both union and fund membership.
