About the Support
Employment support is intended for non-profit organisations that promote the employment of jobseekers who are clients of Turku Employment Services and contribute to the development of the intermediate labour market in Turku. The support covers wage costs for a jobseeker from Turku who has been unemployed for more than 24 months, as well as, to a limited extent, costs related to guidance and coaching.
The employment relationship must fulfil the employment condition, and its purpose is to support transition to the open labour market or, depending on the employee’s situation, to studies. If the employee moves on to the open labour market, the organisation may apply for a bonus of 500–1,000 euros depending on the length of the employment. Any remaining wage funds may be used to recruit a new employee or to develop employees in supported employment, such as through additional training.
If the employment ends before the agreed period, the organisation must contact Employment Services to agree on the further use of the remaining wage funds.
Who Can Apply?
Employment support may be applied for by an organisation that
- is non-profit and operates for the public good
- is registered in Turku or, if operating nationally, has an office in Turku
- promotes the employment of unemployed jobseekers living in Turku
Granting of Support
Support may be granted for:
- wage costs of an unemployed jobseeker from Turku who has been unemployed for at least 24 months during the past 28 months
- additional training for the employee
- to a limited extent, wage and other costs related to guidance and coaching
Short, involuntary interruptions in unemployment do not exclude a person from the target group.
Support is not granted for:
- financing the organisation’s basic activities
- profit-seeking activities or fundraising
- investments
- activities purchased or procured by the City from the organisation
- services specifically targeted at residents of other municipalities
- employment relationships receiving other public funding or support
Recruitment
- Turku Employment Services will refer suitable jobseekers to organisations.
- If a candidate is found through other means, the organisation must verify the candidate’s eligibility for the support with Employment Services, with the candidate’s consent.
- The organisation makes the final recruitment decision and acts as the employer.
- Once the decision has been made, Employment Services must be informed so that no additional candidates are referred to the same position.
Employment Relationship of a Supported Employee
The employment must:
- generally last 12 months
- be at least 65% of normal working hours in the sector
- fulfil the employment condition.
The salary must comply with the applicable collective agreement or, if none applies, be customary and reasonable. The salary may not be based solely on performance (e.g. commission only).
The job duties must correspond to work performed on the open labour market. A fixed-term contract must be terminable if the employee finds other employment or begins full-time studies.
Decision and Payment of Support
- After the application period ends, decisions on the granting and amount of support will be delivered electronically by 15 March 2026.
- Recruitment may begin immediately after a positive decision. Employment Services will then start referring suitable candidates to supported organisations. If less support is granted than applied for, the organisation must inform Employment Services which positions will be filled using the support.
- The first instalment will be paid in April 2026. The next instalment will be paid in June–July once employment contracts have been submitted. Support granted for 2026 will be paid in full during 2026, provided the conditions for use are met.
If the Employment Ends Early
If the employment (usually 12 months) ends prematurely, the organisation must contact Turku Employment Services without delay. The use of remaining wage funds will be agreed on a case-by-case basis.
General principles:
- 0–9 months: the organisation recruits a new person. Remaining funds may be used as so-called final instalment wage funds.
- Over 9 months: the organisation may recruit a new person or use remaining funds for training, coaching or work equipment for other employees.
- If several employments end, the saved wage months may be used to employ one or more persons.
All changes concerning employment relationships funded by the support must be reported immediately to Employment Services.
Clawback of Support
If the support is used for purposes other than those for which it was granted, the City of Turku has the right to demand a pay-back of the support.
Applying for the Support and Further Information
The application period for organisational support is open from 2 February to 20 February 2026.
More information:
Miia Savinainen
miia.savinainen@turku.fi
Phone: 040 668 3293
Employment support is applied for via the City of Turku’s electronic grant application system. Please read the instructions carefully!
Instruction for using the application system
Apply for the employment support – link to the application system (in Finnish)
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If an organisation has been granted employment support, it will not be granted 100% wage subsidy, even if the employee is new.
Yes. An organisation may apply for a 50% or 70% wage subsidy for hiring an unemployed person, as well as employment support for persons over the age of 55 (70%). However, employment support and wage subsidy cannot be used for the wage costs of the same employee.
No. The person hired must be an unemployed jobseeker and available to the labour market.
Employment-related costs include wage costs, i.e. gross salary, statutory employer contributions and any costs based on collective or contractual agreements. The organisation may, however, receive public funding for costs related to payroll administration or accounting associated with the employment.
Support for adapting working conditions cannot be granted to an organisation that has received employment support.
The employment must last longer than one month. It may be fixed-term or permanent and must not be subsidised by a wage subsidy. To be eligible for the bonus, the working time must be at least 20 hours per week.
As the purpose of employment supported by employment support is to improve the employee’s chances of employment, it is appropriate that the employee may resign without a notice period when they find another job or a place of study. This is agreed jointly between the employer and the employee. In all other respects, the employment is a normal fixed-term employment relationship.
100% wage subsidy will be granted to some extent to all organisations that apply for it during January–March. If an organisation has been granted 100% wage subsidy at the beginning of 2026 (or earlier), this does not prevent it from being granted employment support. The subsidy is granted as applied for, for a maximum period of 10 months. Other forms of wage subsidy remain available.
Yes, but the support covers a 12-month employment period only, even if the apprenticeship lasts longer.
Wage subsidies can be granted for apprenticeships, but not for employment relationships financed with employment support. The wage subsidy is 50–70% depending on the employee’s situation. A 100% wage subsidy is not granted for apprenticeships if the organisation has received employment support.
Both wage subsidies and employment support have their own allocated budgets and are granted within those limits. The City recommends applying for employment support to cover the costs of employing long-term unemployed persons. In addition, employment support is more favourable for the employee, as it fulfils the employment condition (unlike employment with a wage subsidy).
As a general rule, an unemployed jobseeker from Turku must have at least two years of unemployment. In unclear cases, the decision is made by the jobseeker’s designated case officer.
When applying for employment support, the organisation explains how much support is applied for and for what purposes. Although the main focus is on covering wage costs, coaching and support for the employee are also taken into account when granting the support. The organisation itself decides who to hire with the support, provided that the eligibility criteria are met.