Join the unemployment fund on your first day of your summer job

Topics

• Income security
• Membership
• Studies
• YTK

Summer jobs accumulate a working condition, which is a prerequisite for access to income security. New graduates and summer jobseekers should get their membership in order as soon as possible, as a recent change in the law slows down the accumulation of the working condition.

Anyone aged 18 or over who is a member of an unemployment fund and meets the conditions for receiving a daily allowance, including the working condition is eligible for a daily allowance. On average, a earnings-related daily allowance is about twice the amount of the basic daily allowance or labour market subsidy paid by Kela.

You cannot join the unemployment fund once you have become unemployed. It is therefore important to anticipate and join when you are in paid employment. It is therefore worth thinking about joining the unemployment fund as soon as you start your first summer or part-time job.

“Unemployment fund membership is a worthwhile choice for both recent graduates and young people or students moving into summer jobs. By joining an unemployment fund, a young person makes a rational choice and gets better security for a possible period of unemployment,” says Auli Hänninen, CEO of the YTK Unemployment Fund. 

Joining in time is more important than ever

A change in the law that will enter into force in the autumn will slow down the accumulation of the working condition for the earnings-related daily allowance. It is therefore more advisable to join the unemployment fund from the first day of work.

“The working condition will be extended to one year in autumn 2024, so it is important to accumulate working weeks in time,” says Auli Hänninen.

Summer or part-time work will accumulate working condition under the same conditions as other paid work. So a short period of employment is no reason not to join the fund. 

A checklist for a young person or student moving to a summer job: 

• Working in summer and part-time jobs builds up the working condition in the same way as other paid jobs.
• It is advisable to join the unemployment fund as soon as you start working, as you can no longer join the fund once you become unemployed.
• You can use the working time accumulated during your studies after graduation if you do not find a job immediately.