Extending COVID-19 unemployment flexibilities
Act amending section 4 of the Act on Temporary Exceptions to the Unemployment Security Act due to the COVID-19 Epidemic
Temporary COVID-19 exceptions to unemployment security will be extended until the end of November 2021. The extension supports the livelihood of the unemployed and facilitates taking up work as well as the processing of benefit applications.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 9 Sep 2021
- Latest event
- 22 Sep 2021
- Votes
- 0
- Speeches
- 4
- Confirmed
- 24 Sep 2021
- Statute
- 832/2021
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The validity of the temporary exceptions to the Unemployment Security Act will be extended until 30 November 2021. The exceptions to be extended include the increased exempt amount for unemployment benefits (500 euros per month or 465 euros per four weeks), the two-hour commute condition for the mobility allowance in full-time work, the possibility of advance payment of benefits for up to six months, and the streamlining of adjustment provisions.
What it means
The amendment affects unemployed persons, benefit recipients working part-time, unemployment funds and Kela (the Social Insurance Institution). The increased exempt amount encourages taking up part-time work, and the advance payment procedure speeds up the receipt of income security during backlogs. The changes are estimated to increase benefit expenditure by approximately 12.9 million euros, of which the central government's share is 8.7 million euros, the Employment Fund's 3.1 million euros, municipalities' 0.7 million euros, and unemployment funds' 0.4 million euros.
How Parliament voted
The bill passed without a vote – no MP proposed rejecting or amending it in plenary.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
4 speeches · 3 speakers · 1 debate
Key points of the debate
The debate addressed extending the temporary COVID-19 flexibilities for unemployment security by two months. The proposal was considered necessary to secure the livelihood of unemployed persons and the acceptance of work while restrictive measures still continue. The debate also highlighted labour shortages and the hope for a rapid lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
- Is extending the easements in unemployment security justified during a labour shortage?
- Should restrictions be dismantled swiftly instead of continuing support measures?
- Left AllianceIn favour
The group considered that the proposal secures jobseekers' livelihood and encourages taking up work during exceptional times, when restrictions still hamper sectors and unemployment remains elevated.
”Covid-19-epidemian aikana työttömyysturvalainsäädäntöön tehdyillä muutoksilla on pyritty turvaamaan työttömien työnhakijoiden asemaa.”
— Hanna Sarkkinen - Finns PartyIn favour with reservations
The group considered the easements in unemployment security a good thing as such, but noted the absence of a consultation round and questioned the need for support measures in view of the labour shortage and the lifting of restrictions.
”Yleisenä huomiona voidaan pitää hyvänä näitä työttömyysturvan helpotuksia tässä koronan aikana, erityisesti myöskin yrittäjien osalta, jotka ovat olleet tämän kriisin aikana todellisessa pinteessä.”
— Mari Rantanen
This digest was generated by AI from 4 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Keskustelu päättyi. Asia lähetettiin sosiaali- ja terveysvaliokuntaan.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 9 Sep 2021Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö
- 14 Sep 2021Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 15 Sep 2021Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · sosiaali- ja terveysvaliokunta
- 16 Sep 2021Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 21 Sep 2021Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 22 Sep 2021Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki väliaikaisista poikkeuksista työttömyysturvalakiin covid-19-epidemian vuoksi annetun lain 4 §:n muuttamisestaHyväksytty · 832/2021 · 24 Sep 2021
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki väliaikaisista poikkeuksista työttömyysturvalakiin covid-19-epidemian vuoksi annetun lain 4 §:n muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti muutetaan väliaikaisista poikkeuksista työttömyysturvalakiin covid-19-epidemian vuoksi annetun lain (315/2020) 4 §, sellaisena kuin se on laissa 515/2021, seuraavasti:
4 §Voimaantulo
Tämä laki tulee voimaan 11 päivänä toukokuuta 2020 ja on voimassa 30 päivään marraskuuta 2021.
Tätä lakia sovelletaan työttömyysetuuden maksamiseen sellaiselta työttömyysetuuden hakujaksolta, joka alkaa lain voimaantulon jälkeen, kuitenkin viimeistään 30 päivänä marraskuuta 2021. Sen 3 §:ää sovelletaan kuitenkin työttömyysetuuden maksamiseen myös, kun hakemus on saapunut ennen tämän lain voimaantuloa.
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 .
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 13 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.