Free recruitment coaching for small businesses
Act amending section 4 of chapter 4 of the Act on Public Employment and Business Service
The public employment services (TE services) will begin offering companies free coaching on hiring employees and acting as an employer. The service will lower the threshold especially for small businesses to recruit their first employees.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 21 Apr 2022
- Latest event
- 27 May 2022
- Votes
- 0
- Speeches
- 11
- Confirmed
- 10 Jun 2022
- Statute
- 419/2022
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The Act on Public Employment and Business Service will be amended so that the public employment services (TE services) can also offer coaching to business clients on hiring employees and improving employer skills. The amendment will establish the previously piloted and project-based Työllistä taidolla ('Employ with skill') service on a permanent basis as part of the standard TE service provision.
What it means
The amendment will primarily benefit growth-oriented sole entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises with fewer than 10 people, which will receive concrete and tailored advice on the recruitment process and employer obligations. The service will be free of charge for the enterprise, but its value (previously around 1,400 euros on average) is considered de minimis state aid received by the company. The act will enter into force as soon as possible.
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.
11 speeches · 10 speakers · 2 debates
Key points of the debate
The debate addressed free recruitment coaching offered by the public employment services (TE services) to small businesses and sole entrepreneurs. All parliamentary groups unanimously supported the proposal, as it was considered to lower the threshold for hiring the first employee. However, members from the opposition pointed out that broader measures to reduce entrepreneurial risk and bureaucracy would also be needed to promote employment.
- Social DemocratsIn favour
The Social Democrats (SDP) support the proposal because free coaching facilitates recruitment by small businesses and strengthens employment.
”Esityksen tarkoituksena on tukea yritysten kasvua ja madaltaa yksinyrittäjien ja mikroyritysten rekrytointikynnystä ja sitä kautta nostaa työllisyysastetta.”
— Tuula Haatainen - Centre PartyIn favour
The Centre Party (Cen) considers the proposal very good and views it as supporting the growth and employment opportunities of sole entrepreneurs.
”Yrittäjät ovat tämän maan selkäranka, ja jos avoin sektori voi hyvin, silloin koko Suomi voi hyvin.”
— Hannu Hoskonen - Left AllianceIn favour
The Left Alliance (Left) supports the legislative amendment because strengthening recruitment skills lowers the threshold for hiring employees under employment contracts.
”Yrittäjän rekrytointiosaamista kehittämällä madalletaan kynnystä työllistää henkilöitä nimenomaan työsuhteeseen.”
— Aino-Kaisa Pekonen - National Coalition PartyIn favour
The National Coalition Party (NCP) supports the proposal as a step in the right direction, but emphasises that broader labour market reforms are needed to remove barriers to employment.
”Tämä lakiesitys on kyllä hyvä ja kannatettava.”
— Arto Satonen - Finns PartyIn favour
The Finns Party (Finns) considers the proposal justified and a good way to reduce the recruitment risk experienced by small businesses.
”Siksi on perusteltua, että osana julkisia työvoima- ja yrityspalveluita yksin- ja pienyrittäjille tarjotaan maksutonta valmennusta rekrytointiin ja työnantajuuteen.”
— Rami Lehto
This digest was generated by AI from 11 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 työelämä- ja tasa-arvovaliokuntaan.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi. Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esitykseen HE 59/2022 vp sisältyvän lakiehdotuksen sisällön mietinnön mukaisena. Lakiehdotuksen ensimmäinen käsittely päättyi.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 21 Apr 2022Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriö
- 28 Apr 2022Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 12 May 2022Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · työelämä- ja tasa-arvovaliokunta
- 17 May 2022Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 20 May 2022Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 25 May 2022Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki julkisesta työvoima- ja yrityspalvelusta annetun lain 4 luvun 4 §:n muuttamisestaHyväksytty · 419/2022 · 10 Jun 2022
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 julkisesta työvoima- ja yrityspalvelusta annetun lain 4 luvun 4 §:n muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti lisätään julkisesta työvoima- ja yrityspalvelusta annetun lain (916/2012) 4 luvun 4 §:ään uusi 2 momentti seuraavasti:
4 luku – Tieto- ja neuvontapalvelut, asiantuntija-arvioinnit, ammatinvalinta- ja uraohjaus sekä valmennus ja kokeilu
4 §Valmennus
Työ- ja elinkeinotoimisto voi tarjota yritykselle valmennusta työntekijän palkkaamisessa ja työnantajavalmiuksien kehittämisessä. Palvelun hinta katsotaan yrityksen de minimis -tueksi.
§
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.