Municipal trials on employment

As a result of a complaint, the Regional State Administrative Agency may investigate whether the municipality of the pilot area has complied with the legislation in force. We also carry out risk-based supervision and supervision based on the control plan which may include inspection visits to municipalities.

In particular, we actively monitor that services are equally available to everyone and that private life protection and linguistic rights are followed.

With regard to municipal trials on employment, we supervise the legality of activities only in the municipalities involved in the trial. The oversight of the legality of TE Offices’ tasks is not the responsibility of the Regional State Administrative Agency.

When we handle complaints, we have the means of administrative control laid down in the Administrative Procedure Act at our disposal. We can provide administrative guidance to the municipality in the pilot area to help them correct any shortcomings. In connection with the supervision, we can also give a warning to the municipality of the pilot area or the official responsible for the incorrect operation.

The Regional State Administrative Agency can also use coercive measures if there are significant shortcomings in the organisation of services in the pilot area or the municipality participating in the trial, or if the activities are otherwise illegal.

We can give the municipality in the pilot area an order to correct or remove the shortcomings. If the municipality or region of the pilot area does not comply with the order, we may order the activities to be partly or completely suspended.  

The customers of the municipalities in pilot areas are unemployed jobseekers, employees at risk of becoming unemployed within two weeks, employed jobseekers and jobseekers currently using services promoting employment, who are living in a municipality that is participating in the trial, and who: 

• do not meet the requirements for receiving earnings-related unemployment benefit, i.e. they receive labour market support or basic unemployment allowance from Kela,

• are less than 30 years old; or

• are immigrants (nationality other than Finnish) or foreign-language speakers (native language other than Finnish, Swedish or Sámi).

Persons under the age of 30, immigrants and foreign-language speakers are included in the customers of pilot area municipalities even if they are entitled to earnings-related unemployment benefit.

As of 1 March 2023, customers of pilot area municipalities will also include persons who have been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection and who have a permanent residence in a pilot area municipality. 

Even if the jobseeker’s search for work has ended, they remain a customer of the pilot area municipality if they later start looking for work again during the trial.

The municipal trials on employment involve 118 municipalities which form 25 pilot areas.

1. Municipal trials on employment in Espoo: Espoo
2. Municipal trials on employment in the Southern Ostrobothnia region: Alavus, Isojoki, Karijoki, Kurikka, Kauhajoki, Teuva and Soini
3. Municipal trials on employment in Helsinki: Helsinki
4. Municipal trials on employment in Hämeenlinna: Hämeenlinna, Hattula, Janakkala
5. Municipal trials on employment in the Joensuu region: Joensuu, Outokumpu, Liperi, Polvijärvi, Kontiolahti
6. Municipal trials on employment in Jyväskylä: Jyväskylä, Laukaa, Muurame, Äänekoski
7. Municipal trials on employment in Jämsä-Keuruu-Saarijärvi: Jämsä, Keuruu, Saarijärvi
8. Municipal trials on employment in Kainuu: Hyrynsalmi, Kajaani, Kuhmo, Sotkamo, Suomusalmi, Paltamo, Ristijärvi
9. Municipal trials on employment in the Kokkola region: Kokkola, Kannus, Perho, Kaustinen, Veteli, Halsua, Toholampi, Lestijärvi
10. Municipal trials on employment in Kuopio: Kuopio, Iisalmi, Lapinlahti, Siilinjärvi, Sonkajärvi, Vieremä
11. Municipal trials on employment in the Lahti region: Lahti, Hollola, Asikkala, Kärkölä, Orimattila
12. Municipal trials on employment in the Mikkeli region: Mikkeli, Juva, Hirvensalmi, Mäntyharju, Kangasniemi, Puumala, Pertunmaa
13. Municipal trials on employment in the Oulu region: Oulu, Hailuoto, Ii, Kempele, Liminka, Lumijoki, Tyrnävä, Muhos
14. Municipal trials on employment in Pirkanmaa: Tampere, Akaa, Hämeenkyrö, Ikaalinen, Juupajoki, Kangasala, Kihniö, Lempäälä, Mänttä-Vilppula, Nokia, Orivesi, Parkano, Pirkkala, Punkalaidun, Pälkäne, Ruovesi, Sastamala, Urjala, Valkeakoski, Vesilahti, Virrat, Ylöjärvi
15. Municipal trials on employment in the Pori region: Pori, Kokemäki, Ulvila
16. Municipal trials on employment in Porvoo: Porvoo
17. Municipal trials on employment in the Raahe region: Raahe, Pyhäjoki, Siikajoki
18. Municipal trials on employment in Raseborg and Hanko: Raseborg, Hanko
19. Municipal trials on employment in the Rovaniemi region: Rovaniemi, Tornio, Kemijärvi, Sodankylä
20. Municipal trials on employment in the Salo region: Salo, Marttila, Koski Tl
21. Municipal trials on employment in Savonlinna: Savonlinna
22. Municipal trials on employment in Seinäjoki and Ilmajoki: Seinäjoki, Ilmajoki
23. Municipal trials on employment in the Turku region: Turku, Laitila, Paimio, Sauvo, Uusikaupunki
24. Municipal trials on employment in Vantaa and Kerava: Vantaa, Kerava
25. Municipal trials on employment in the Ylivieska region: Ylivieska, Alavieska, Kalajoki, Merijärvi, Oulainen

Municipalities in the pilot areas have an obligation to provide sufficient statutory services to ensure the functioning of the labour market, the availability of skilled labour and to promote the integration of immigrants in a manner that ensures the equality of its customers.

During the municipal trials on employment, municipalities in the pilot regions will organise the following employment and business services:

• employment services
• information and advisory services
• vocational and career guidance.

The municipality of the pilot area can guide its customers to

• expert evaluations
• coaching
• trials
• labour market training.

A municipality in the pilot area grants, on behalf of the State,

• pay subsidies
• start-up grants
• discretionary expense allowances.
• reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses related to services and expert evaluations. 

The municipality in the pilot area may decide

• on the prerequisites for granting unemployment benefits to support a jobseeker’s independent studies
• on the prerequisites for supporting an immigrant's independent studies.

Alongside the TE Office, the municipality of the pilot area may

• publish vacancies and notify jobseekers of them in accordance with the employer's instructions and introduce jobseekers to employers.

In addition, the municipalities in the pilot areas carry out the tasks referred to in the Act on cross-sectoral joint service promoting employment and the Act on Rehabilitative Work.

A municipality in the pilot area is responsible for organising services and procedures for its customers in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration.

When providing public employment and business services, the municipality in the pilot area must comply with the provisions laid down in the Act on Public Employment and Business Service regarding the provision of services, free services, fairness and equality, and the promotion of equality between women and men.

The municipality in the pilot area issues labour policy statements on matters such as:

1. statement on the general labour policy conditions for receiving unemployment benefits,
2. statement on the prerequisites for receiving unemployment benefits when starting a business and becoming self-employed and during short-term studies,
3. statement on the jobseeker's participation in a service promoting employment and the inclusion of the service promoting employment in the employment plan that is prepared with the jobseeker
4. statement on the proven interruption of the jobseeker's studies when they were supported by an unemployment benefit and the prerequisites for supporting the jobseeker’s independent studies with an unemployment benefit, and
5. statement on the support period for studies referred to in the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration, the immigrant's obligations and the monitoring and interruption of studies.

Certain labour policy statements are issued by experts who are nationally centralised in the Uusimaa TE Office’s area of responsibility for unemployment security. To be able to give a statement in this case, the municipality in the pilot area:

• informs the TE Office of the necessary information,
• asks the jobseeker for a clarification if necessary and submits it to the TE Office, and
• informs the payer of the unemployment benefit of clarifying the matter. The payer will consider whether the payment of the benefit should be suspended for the time that the matter is being processed to avoid overpayment.

A TE Office may transfer a person in a pilot area municipality to be a customer at another TE Office or a pilot area municipality that is not their municipality of residence if: 

1. the customer requests it,
2. the transfer is necessary to safeguard the customer's linguistic rights, to avoid an inappropriate customer relationship from the customer's perspective, or for a justified reason related to the customer's safety; and
3. the transfer does not jeopardise the customer's ability to receive the services that they need.

The customer in the pilot area municipality must submit a request for transfer to the TE Office determined by their municipality of residence or place of residence.

When a TE Office transfers a person to a customer at a municipality other than their own, it needs approval for the transfer from the municipality to which the customer requests the transfer.

The general obligations of a jobseeker who is a customer of a municipality in the pilot area are:

1. Apply for work and education actively.

2. Participate in their service needs assessment 

3. Participate in the preparation and revision of an employment plan or a corresponding plan that supports the job search and promotes labour market capacity and employment.

4. Notify the pilot area municipality of the implementation of the employment plan or the plan replacing it in the manner specified by the municipality.  

5. Notify the Employment and Economic Development Authority of changes in their contact information and keep documents related to the fulfilment of the jobseeking obligation and present them to the pilot area municipality when requested.