Unemployment benefit for students

As a Loimu member, you can join the unemployment fund Erko through us. As a student, it is important that you join the fund early enough so that you can accrue the work requirement before you graduate. All work is included in the work requirement, which means that the work does not need to be in your own field.

As a student, employment after graduation may seem like a distant matter. The first employment relationships are often temporary. There are often periods of unemployment between employment relationships – about two out of three graduates are unemployed for some time during the five years following their graduation.  It might also be that the first job is not found immediately after graduation. Unemployment does not statistically last long in our field, but even short periods of unemployment can be secured by joining the unemployment fund in time.

When you accrue the 26-week work requirement during your studies, you are entitled to earnings-related unemployment benefit, which is paid by your own unemployment fund, when you graduate and are unemployed or laid off. You have to join the unemployment fund separately. You can join the unemployment fund only when you are currently employed. The fund membership should be taken care of as soon as the first paid employment relationship begins.

How can I join the unemployment fund?

  • You can join the unemployment fund when joining Loimu, in the unemployment fund membership section in the membership form.
  • If you are already Loimu’s member and want to join the unemployment fund, submit a notification to our Member Services to jasenasiat@loimu.fi. The notification must state the start date of employment and the name of your employer.
  • By filling in the form on our website

The unemployment fund membership begins on the joining date, at the earliest. The joining notification can also be submitted in advance if the end date of the employment is known. It is not possible to join the fund retrospectively.

Your unemployment fund membership must be uninterrupted in order for the accumulated work requirement to be maintained. If you have previously belonged to another unemployment fund, the membership can be transferred to the unemployment fund of Loimu members Erko.

More information:

What is earnings-related unemployment benefit?

Joining the unemployment fund