Lahti pushes jobseekers to look further from home amid severe unemployment

The city of Lahti, which currently has the highest unemployment rate among Finland’s major cities, is urging jobseekers to accept positions farther from home, even beyond traditional commuting zones, Yle reports.

Under existing rules, unemployed individuals must accept job offers if the one-way daily commute does not exceed 1.5 hours. Authorities in Lahti are now enforcing this more strictly, while the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (TEM) suggests that expanding the commuting area could benefit economic growth.

Elina Pylkkänen, state secretary at TEM, emphasised that increasing labour mobility is in everyone’s interest. “The most important thing now is that economic growth isn’t hindered by a lack of available workforce,” she said. Extending the commuting limit beyond 1.5 hours, however, would require broader societal discussion, including considerations on transport infrastructure and housing availability for those relocating for work.

Lahti’s employment director, Taisto Tuominen, clarified that the focus is on guidance rather than penalties. “Primarily, we aim to encourage clients to consider their employment opportunities both geographically and professionally,” he said. The city is also actively identifying “hidden jobs”—unadvertised vacancies—by directly contacting businesses.

With few open positions relative to the number of unemployed, Tuominen advises jobseekers to explore roles outside their trained fields. For example, a machinist with fishing as a hobby could find work in a tackle shop, or someone with office experience might transition into sales or marketing.

Lahti’s unemployment rate remains significantly higher than in other major Finnish cities. Prolonged joblessness strains municipal finances, as penalties paid to the Social Insurance Institution (Kela) increase. However, Tuominen stressed that the goal is not to drive residents away but to secure jobs for them within a wider region.

If a jobseeker refuses a mandatory job offer, they must justify their decision to continue receiving unemployment benefits. Repeated refusals may result in temporary suspension of payments.