Youth recruitment subsidy

Conditions concerning the employer, employment relationship and pay
Youth recruitment subsidy can be granted to companies and associations and non-governmental organisations engaged in economic activities for hiring an unemployed jobseeker under the age of 30. 

Conditions for granting the subsidy:

• The employer is a company or an association or non-governmental organisation engaged in economic activities. 
• The person being hired is under the age of 30 and registered as an unemployed jobseeker.
• The subsidy is sought from the employment authority of the recruit’s municipality of residence.
• The subsidy is discretionary and granted as de minimis aid. 

Conditions pertaining to the employment relationship:

• The minimum duration of the employment relationship is six months between 1 January 2026 and 30 June 2027.
• The employment relationship must be full-time or part-time with the working hours amounting to at least 80% of full-time working hours.

Amount of the subsidy and eligible salary cost items:

• The subsidy covers 50% of salary costs, up to €1,500/month.
• The total amount of subsidy paid per recruit for a period of six months may be up to €9,000. 
• Salary costs cover the salary and wages subject to withholding tax (gross salary) that are payable to the employee based on their working time or the completion of a contract.
• Salary and wages also include any increments and bonuses related to regular working hours and working conditions, such as evening and Sunday increments or the cold region bonus, regardless of whether they are based on labour law or the applicable collective agreement.

Salary costs do not cover the following:

• Holiday bonus or holiday compensation or comparable compensation. If holiday pay is paid in the form of holiday bonus in accordance with the collective agreement applicable to the employment relationship, a portion of the holiday bonus
  equivalent to an annual holiday taken during the pay-subsidised work period may, at the employer’s request, be included in salary costs.
• Compensation payable for additional work or overtime or monetary compensation for time saved in a working time account.
• Salary for the period for which the employer has the right to receive daily allowance under the Health Insurance Act, rehabilitation allowance under the Act on the Social Insurance Institution of Finland’s Rehabilitation Benefits and Rehabilitation Allowance Benefits, compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act, or communicable disease allowance as specified in the Communicable Diseases Act in accordance with the Health Insurance Act for the salary costs of the person hired with the subsidy.
• The portion of the salary that is determined in accordance with the work performance of the person hired with the subsidy or in accordance with the employer’s performance.
• Compensation for costs or employee benefits.

The subsidy is paid to the employer retroactively within the deadline specified in the agreement.  It is not possible to receive both pay subsidy and youth recruitment subsidy for the same employment relationship at the same time. 

The employment relationship may not start until the employer and employment authority have concluded an agreement on the employment relationship.

Conditions pertaining to the jobseeker: 

• The jobseeker must be registered as an unemployed jobseeker in the Kerava and Sipoo employment area. 
• Jobseekers under the age of 30 who have been unemployed for at least six (6) months during the seven (7) months immediately preceding the conclusion of the agreement.  
• Jobseekers under the age of 30 who have only completed the primary and lower secondary education syllabus and who have been unemployed for at least three (3) months at the time of conclusion of the agreement.