Outokumpu’s hiring support helps young people find work

Jasmin Kuronen, 27, found work in Outokumpu after nearly a year and a half unemployed, with help from a hiring subsidy offered by the town, Yle reports. Outokumpu is stepping up efforts to connect young people with jobs as youth unemployment remains high.

Kuronen was hired by Sampsa Salmi, who opened the Kaski bakery and restaurant in central Outokumpu this summer. A state youth employment voucher covers half of a new employee’s wages for up to six months. The town adds a further 400 euros a month.

“The support is useful because the costs of setting up a restaurant are high. It has given me the confidence to hire people right from the start,” Salmi said. He has also recently hired a baker with the support. Both employment contracts are initially fixed-term.

Outokumpu’s mayor, Päivi Lintumäki, recently emailed about 200 local businesses to explain the hiring subsidies and offer help with recruitment. The campaign was planned with the regional employment area and Business Joensuu, a business development company for municipalities in North Karelia.

The email drew around 20 replies. The regional employment area’s specialist Susanna Mutanen said discussions about possible hires had taken place with more than 10 companies. Since March, 10 youth employment vouchers have been granted in Outokumpu, with three applications under consideration. Across North Karelia, 86 vouchers had been granted by the end of September.

At the end of August, Outokumpu had 86 unemployed jobseekers under 30. Unemployment among people under 25 stood at 22.1 per cent of that age group’s labour force, compared with 16.5 per cent nationally.

Mutanen said many small businesses find recruitment burdensome because reviewing applications takes time. The regional employment area therefore matches employers with suitable young jobseekers, and jobs are not always advertised publicly.

Unemployment also puts pressure on the town’s finances. Lintumäki said municipal payments to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland rise when unemployment lasts a long time, and that reliance on basic social assistance also creates costs for the town.

Kuronen has previously worked in retail and in a warehouse. She said restaurant work feels like the best fit for her.