Akava proposes easing work requirement for earnings-related unemployment benefit

The Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland (Akava) has proposed relaxing the work requirement for earnings-related unemployment benefits to make job hunting easier for young people, Yle reports.

Akava chair Maria Löfgren suggests a model where six months of employment would entitle a person to 60 days of earnings-related unemployment benefit. This would allow young people and recent graduates to focus on job searching if they become unemployed, she said.

“Unemployment benefits should include a security element accumulated from short-term employment, giving young people hope. Hopefully, this will happen during the current government term,” Löfgren said.

Akava also wants to promote higher education internships by directing public research, development, and innovation (RDI) funding through companies to interns and thesis writers.

“This would bring in future experts. They would get to know the company and contribute to the entire innovation process,” Löfgren said.

Additionally, Akava proposes expanding the use of youth employment vouchers to cover higher education internships, ensuring no student’s graduation is delayed due to a lack of internship placement.

“We have too many young people whose graduation is stalled because they haven’t secured an internship,” Löfgren noted.