Employers can now get recruitment support for hiring young people easier than before

Topics

• Job seeking
• Työllisyys
• Unemployment

A change that took effect in early July eased the eligibility requirements for the youth recruitment subsidy. The goal of the change is to encourage employers to hire unemployed job seekers under the age of 30.

Starting 1.7.2026, it will be easier for employers to receive a recruitment subsidy for hiring an unemployed job seeker under the age of 30.

The goal of the recruitment subsidy is to promote youth employment. In addition to businesses, the subsidy may also be granted to associations and foundations.

The subsidy can be obtained when an employer agrees with the employment authority to hire a young person. The key conditions are:

• the person to be hired must be an unemployed job seeker under the age of 30

• the employer must commit to employing the young person for at least three months.

If the conditions for the subsidy are met, the employment authority may enter into a recruitment subsidy agreement with the employer. The subsidy may be granted for a period of 3–6 months.

The recruitment subsidy amounts to 50 percent of wage costs, up to a maximum of 1 500 euros per month for each young person hired with the subsidy.

For more information on the recruitment subsidy and how to apply for it, visit the Job Market website and the page for your local employment region.

Coming Soon: Support for the long-term unemployed to strengthen their skills

The skills voucher program for the long-term unemployed has moved on to the public comment phase.

The purpose of the skills voucher is to increase opportunities for the long-term unemployed to receive training and strengthen their skills, thereby promoting employment. The voucher can also be used for career counseling or employment-promoting coaching.

The skills voucher would be intended for unemployed job seekers aged 25 or older who have been unemployed for a total of at least 12 months during the 14-month period immediately preceding the start of the service. This approach ensures that, for example, a brief interruption in job search activities or temporary employment would not prevent the use of the voucher.

The goal is for the skills voucher to be introduced by the end of 2026.