Recruitment subsidy for hiring an employee

Recruitment subsidy can be granted to an employer (companies, associations, and foundations) operating in the City of Jyväskylä who hires a job seeker from Jyväskylä who is unemployed or at risk of unemployment. Recruitment subsidy is not granted to public-sector employers.

The subsidy is intended to cover costs arising from hiring an employee, such as recruitment expenses, workspace, tools and work clothing, onboarding and guidance costs, expenses related to strengthening language skills, job customization, permit card training, as well as certification and licensing training.

Subsidy is granted to employers regardless of their current number of staff.

For companies engaged in economic activity, the support is granted as de minimis aid. Recruitment subsidy is provided within the limits of available funding and is discretionary.

In addition, when applying for recruitment subsidy, a cash bonus is available if the job seeker is employed by the company for a longer period.

Detailed application instructions will be published on this page at the beginning of 2026.

The employer must have a place of business in Jyväskylä.
The minimum duration of the employment relationship must be three (3) months.
The salary must comply with the applicable collective agreement for the position. If no collective agreement applies, a normal and reasonable wage must be paid. Subsidy is granted if the monthly salary is at least €930.
Applies to part-time work and variable working hour agreements (but not zero-hour contracts or “on-call” agreements).
Also applies to apprenticeship training.
50% of monthly wage costs will be reimbursed up to the maximum amount of recruitment subsidy.
Recruitment subsidy is not granted if the employer has already received wage subsidy, employment support for persons aged 55 or over, or municipal subsidy for employing the job seeker.
Subsidy can only be granted once for the same employee to the same employer. The annual number of recruitment subsidy decisions per employer is discretionary, depending on industry needs and labor availability.
The subsidy must not distort competition.
Applications can be submitted no earlier than one month before the start of employment, and the application must be received by the job seeker’s municipality no later than one month after the employment begins. The subsidy is paid retroactively based on payroll documentation.

The person’s municipality of residence must be Jyväskylä.
The job seeker’s registration must have been active for one (1) month immediately prior to the start of employment, and they must be unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
The recruited employee must be either a young person under 30 years old, an immigrant, someone who has been unemployed for a longer period, or an international professional.

Young unemployed job seekers under 30 years of age

The job seeker’s registration must have been active for at least one (1) month immediately prior to the start of employment, and they must be unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
Maximum support: €1,000 per month
Maximum support period: 6 months
Bonus if the employment lasts at least 12 months: €3,500
Maximum support + bonus: €9,500

Unemployed job seekers with an immigrant background

An immigrant refers to a person who has moved to Finland and whose native language is other than Finnish or Swedish, and for whom no more than 5 years have passed since moving to the country.
The job seeker’s registration must have been active for at least one (1) month immediately prior to the start of employment, and they must be unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
Maximum support: €1,000 per month
Maximum support period: 6 months
Bonus if the employment lasts at least 12 months: €3,500
Maximum support + bonus: €9,500

Professionals returning to working life, long-term unemployed

A person who has been unemployed for at least 12 months during the past 24 months
The job seeker’s registration must have been active for at least one (1) month immediately prior to the start of employment. Recruitment support can be granted to a long-term unemployed person or a professional returning to working life who has been unemployed for 12 months within the last 24 months, and who at the time of approval is unemployed, at risk of unemployment, or in training.
Maximum support: €1,000 per month
Maximum support period: 10 months
Bonus if the employment lasts at least 12 months: €3,000
Maximum support + bonus: €13,000

International professionals

The job seeker is a foreign-language university graduate or a foreign-language professional in the field.
The job seeker’s registration must have been active for at least one (1) month immediately prior to the start of employment, and they must be unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
Maximum support: €1,200 per month
Maximum support period: 6 months
Bonus if the employment continues after 6 months: €3,000
Maximum support + bonus: €10,200