Unemployment funds’ operating environment has changed significantly in spring 2020 – In 2019, earnings-related daily allowance expenditure and number of daily allowance beneficiaries still continued to decline

In 2019, unemployment funds’ earnings-related daily allowance expenditure continued to decline. Compared with the previous year, expenditure declined by 11%. A total of EUR 1.7 billion in earnings-related daily allowances was paid. The number of earnings-related daily allowance beneficiaries decreased by 6% and the number of allowance days paid by 11%.

Job alternation compensation expenditure remained almost at the previous year's level, amounting to just under EUR 28 million. The number of people receiving job alternation compensation decreased by 6% from the previous year.

In 2019, unemployment funds paid commuting and relocation allowances totalling EUR 2.7 million. This represents a 11% decline from the previous year. The objective of the commuting and relocation allowance is to incentivise unemployed job seekers to accept a job or job-related training also outside their commuting area.

The processing times for earnings-related daily allowance applications remained stable. The average processing time for all funds in favourable decisions on full earnings-related daily allowance was seven days, i.e. one day fewer than in the previous year.

The data presented above are based on the FIN-FSA’s Finnish-language annual online release on unemployment funds – Työttömyyskassat 2019. Due to the change of circumstances, the FIN-FSA has increased the frequency of publication of information on unemployment funds’ application numbers and expenditures so that they are now updated monthly.

For further information, please contact

Dima Matjushin, Information Specialist, tel. +358 183 5588.

Appendix

Työttömyyskassat 2019 (in Finnish, pdf and Excel tables)