Parliament has decided to tighten the obligations of jobseekers
The Parliament has approved changes to, among other things, the legislation concerning the job seeker’s service process and the consequences of neglecting job search. The changes take effect on 1 January and 1 March 2026.
The Parliament has approved the government-proposed legislative amendments that tighten the obligations of job seekers. Some changes come into effect on 1 January 2026 and others on 1 March 2026. The changes affect both the validity of job seeking and unemployment benefit sanctions. They apply to all job seekers, not only the unemployed.
The legislation will include, among other things, the following changes:
Job offers require you to apply for the job
From 1 January 2026, job offers made by the employment authority will be binding on the job seeker. This means that if an employment advisor, business advisor or work ability advisor makes a job offer to you, you must apply for that job.
However, applying for a job offered by the employment authority will no longer fulfill the job-search obligation.
In Riihimäki, Janakkala, Loppi and Hausjärvi, the employment authority is the South Häme employment area, EHTA.
Neglecting job search results in a suspension or a work obligation
From 1 March 2026, neglecting job search will have the following consequences for the job seeker:
- If you neglect an obligation that binds you, for example a scheduled appointment, the job-search obligation, or another task agreed in your plan, you may receive a seven-day suspension already for the first neglect. You will not receive unemployment benefits for the period of the suspension.
- If you neglect an obligation that binds you a second time, this may result in a six-week work obligation for you. This means that you will receive unemployment benefits only after you have been working or have participated in an activation service promoting employment for at least six weeks.
The employment authority will continue to count the number of neglects based on how many times the job seeker has failed to comply with job-search obligations in the past 12 months.
Your job search can end immediately if you do not attend a meeting with the employment authority
From 1 March 2026, the employment authority can end a job seeker’s job search immediately if they
- fail to submit the required documents by the deadline, or
- fail to attend the initial interview, a job-search discussion, or a supplementary job-search discussion agreed in the plan.
If a job seeker fails to attend a meeting, the South Häme employment area will apply the legislation that is in force at the time of the meeting. It does not matter when the employment area sent the invitation to the meeting.
More information: ehtapalvelut.fi