As an employer, you can receive considerable financial support for hiring an unemployed job-seeker. Depending on the duration of unemployment, the pay subsidy is 30–50% of the wages (subsidy period 6 or 12 months). 

Wage subsidy

The purpose of the wage subsidy is to lower the company’s threshold for hiring an unemployed job-seeker, especially when the person is changing jobs from one field to a new one, an older person or a job-seeker with decreased work capacity. The wage subsidy also encourages companies to hire people with different skills and experience backgrounds and offers such an employee an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and motivation. 

Wage subsidies are typically granted in the following situations:

• You are hiring an unemployed employee with a skills deficit in relation to the job at hand (wage subsidy 30–50%, 6–12 month subsidy period).
• You are hiring an unemployed person over 60 years of age (wage subsidy 40–50% for the first 12 months, 30% for the next 12 months, support period of 24 months).
• You are hiring an unemployed job-seeker with reduced work ability due to a disability or illness (wage subsidy 50% for a 24-month subsidy period at a time).
• You are hiring an unemployed job-seeker on an apprenticeship (can be granted for the entire duration of the training, otherwise the conditions are the same as in section one).

Wage subsidy can be granted for both fixed-term and open-ended employment.

Remember these points:

• Wage subsidy is always discretionary and based on the needs of the job seeker.
• The employer commits to paying a salary in accordance with the collective agreement.
• Wage subsidy is not granted for purely commission-based work.
• The employment relationship must not begin before the wage subsidy decision. If the work has started before the company has received a positive wage subsidy decision, the subsidy cannot be granted.

Instructions for applying for wage subsidy:

• Wage subsidy is applied for electronically through the Job Market Finland's e-service.
• Login to the service is done using Suomi.fi authentication.
• The online service guides the user during use.