Tampere offers employers up to €6,000 to hire long-term unemployed, targets 200 jobs in 2027

Employers can receive up to €6,000 when they hire an eligible Tampere jobseeker into a contract of at least 12 months. The city has earmarked up to €1 million for 2027 and aims to help about 200 people find work.

The scheme follows earlier youth-hiring support. Since March, a state-funded youth recruitment grant helped nearly 100 young people find jobs in the Tampere region. The city also set aside funds to subsidise hiring of 18–29-year-olds as part of its youth employment measures.

The new programme replaces the employer recruitment allowance and recruitment bonus, which end at the close of 2026. Regina Saari, director of employment and growth, said the grant is intended to build concrete pathways back to working life and lower the threshold for employers to hire. She said it will steer support toward long-lasting jobs that meet real labour needs.

The committee approved expanding the city's youth summer job voucher into a seasonal voucher for 15- to 18-year-olds, which will be available during the 2026 Christmas season. Application details will be published when the scheme opens late this year.

Deputy mayor Jaakko Mustakallio said, "Increasing job opportunities for Tampere residents in different life situations strengthens the city's vitality. The hiring grant helps open doors back to working life, and the seasonal job voucher gives young people new chances to gain valuable work experience outside the summer months."