Employment authority proposes ending rule that forces jobseekers to keep applying after signing contracts

Finland's employment authority wants to remove the rule that forces unemployed people to keep applying for jobs after signing an employment contract, YLE reports.

Under the current system, most jobseekers must apply for four positions each month and follow a strict employment plan. Officials and jobseekers say the rule wastes time. Recruiters end up processing applications from people who cannot accept the posts. Municipal caseworkers must monitor pointless submissions. Seasonal workers, such as substitute teachers and early childhood educators, can be obliged to apply even when their next contract is already lined up. The proposal comes as Pirkanmaa has seen a recent rise in unemployed jobseekers, with Tampere accounting for much of the increase earlier this year.

Tampere warehouse worker Jalmari Jokinen says he falsely recorded applications because he did not want to send employers applications he would not accept. Antti Ojalehto of Tampere's employment and growth services confirms officials do not check every application, but they must be able to show documentation if asked.

Experts want more discretion for caseworkers and an end to the numerical four-applications-per-month requirement. Lassi Puonti of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities asks whether the process serves the client or the bureaucracy. Officials say changing the law would allow them to tailor obligations to individual situations and save staff time.