Statistics on unemployment benefits paid by Kela (OSF)
The statistics present a general picture of the basic economic security that Kela provides for unemployed persons. They cover
- general social security benefit
- labour market subsidy
- basic unemployment allowance
- benefits paid during participation in employment-promoting measures
- commuting relocation allowance.
Latest release
15th October 2026
Expenditure on unemployment benefits amounted to EUR 3,919 million in 2025. Unemployment funds accounted for a total of EUR 1,849 million of this total in earnings-related benefits and Kela for EUR 2,070 million in basic unemployment benefits.
In 2025, nominal expenditure on unemployment benefits decreased by 2% compared to 2024. The expenditure on earnings-related benefits decreased by 11.4%, while the expenditure on basic unemployment benefits increased by 8.2%. In real terms, the expenditure on unemployment benefits decreased by 2.4% from the previous year.
At the end of 2025, the total number of recipients of unemployment benefits was 351,873, which represented 10.4% of the Finnish population between ages 17 and 64 at that point in time. Altogether 110,981 recipients received earnings-related unemployment allowance, which marks a decrease of 11,531 recipients compared to the previous year. At the end of 2025, the recipients of basic unemployment allowance numbered 32,130. The number of recipients decreased by 1,630 from the previous year. At year-end 2025, the number of recipients of the labour market subsidy totalled 208,377, which marks an increase of 32,244 recipients compared to the previous year.
Statistical Yearbook on Unemployment Protection in Finland 2025
Statistical publications
- Statistics on unemployment protection in Finland
- Kela Statistical Yearbook
- Kela’s Pocket Statistics
- Kela’s statistics in charts
Statistical Database Kelasto
Click the link to generate a dynamic and editable report from the database.
How to work with reports in Kelasto.
- Unemployment benefits provided by Kela: Number of recipients and benefits paid out
- Unemployment benefits provided by Kela: Analysis by basis of eligibility
- Unemployment benefits provided by Kela: Number of recipients at end of month
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy partly financed by municipalities and benefit expenditure 2025–
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy partly financed by municipalities and benefit expenditure 2006–2024
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy newly enrolled in employment promoting service
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy by type of employment promoting service and days of payment
- Duration of receipt of labour market subsidy
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy by cumulative days of payment and basis of eligibility
Open data
- Unemployment benefits provided by Kela: Number of recipients at end of month (avoindata.suomi.fi)
- Unemployment benefits provided by Kela: Analysis by basis of eligibility (avoindata.suomi.fi)
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy partly financed by municipalities and benefit expenditure: Whole country (avoindata.suomi.fi)
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy partly financed by municipalities and benefit expenditure according to municipality (avoindata.suomi.fi)
- Number of recipients of labour market subsidy by cumulative days of payment and basis of eligibility (avoindata.suomi.fi)
Additional information
Contact information
Margit Tepponen
Markus Valle
tilastot@kela.fi
