Urjala first to leave Tampere employment area, joins Western Pirkanmaa next year

When Urjala moves to the Western Pirkanmaa employment area at the start of next year, many jobseekers can expect a new caseworker, local officials told YLE. The municipality says the change aims to strengthen local employment services and better match the area's labour market.

Urjala is rushing to complete the administrative switch after having been part of the Tampere employment area since early 2025. Services will be based at the municipal hall. Tiina Lepola, the new head of employment services, says walk-in appointments without prior booking will be available immediately after the turn of the year. The municipality is recruiting specialists for the service; two new staff members start in December. Unemployment is high, at 14.5 percent in September, the second-highest in Pirkanmaa.

Local leaders say residents found accessing services in Tampere difficult, and that membership of the Tampere employment area became too costly and ineffective. From 2027, Western Pirkanmaa will include Sastamala, Punkalaidun, Hämeenkyrö, Ikaalinen, Parkano, Kihniö and Urjala.

The decision follows Urjala’s earlier announcement in March that it would leave the Tampere employment area amid rising local unemployment. Regional joblessness has been climbing with Pirkanmaa’s unemployment rate rising in recent months.