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19.5.2026 | Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment forecasts that, compared with this year, employment growth will be more robust in 2027 and 2028. A decline in long-term unemployment is expected to begin after the summer of 2026.

7.5.2026 | The Government proposes legislative changes that would make it easier for people claiming unemployment benefits to study. According to the proposal, jobseekers aged at least 25 years could enrol for open higher education studies at universities, universities of applied sciences, community learning centres and summer universities without losing their unemployment benefit.

11.5.2026 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is requesting comments on a proposal to create a new task for the employment authorities. The draft proposal will be circulated for comments from 11 May to 12 June 2026. It partly implements the entry of the Programme of Prime Minister Orpo’s Government concerning rehabilitative work. The aim is to launch activities for persons who have been unemplo...

Press releases on the Government's decisions Police students may be appointed to police reserve 28.5.2026 14.00 Press release Validity of passports to extend to 10 years 28.5.2026 13.56 Press release Provisions supplementing the Cyber Resilience A...

19.5.2026 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has submitted two applications to the European Commission to qualify for support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF). The support aims to help redundant workers find new jobs through learning of new skills and individual and locally targeted employment services.

30.4.2026 | Economic recovery in Finland will be further delayed as a result of the crisis in the Middle East. The general government deficit will widen and remain large according to the Economic Forecast published by the Ministry of Finance on 30 April.

23.4.2026 | As per the Government Programme, immigrants will integrate into Finland through work and the integration system will be reformed to encourage integration. The reform will increase immigrants’ responsibility for their own integration and make the system more binding.

25.3.2026 | The final report of the expert group appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture examines the decline in young people’s confidence in the future. The group presents 36 recommendations to improve the situation. The final report was submitted to the Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Mika Poutala on Wednesday, 25 March 2026.

30.4.2026 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland vn.fi/en Tel. +358 295 16001 VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 1(6) Measures to support economic growth, employment and households decided on in the government...

22.4.2026 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2027–2030. Both the global economy and Finland’s finances are facing challenges. In its spending limits session, the Government focused on new targeted measures to strengthen people’s confidence in the future and improve the conditions for growth and employment.

10.10.2025 | On Friday 10 October, the Government submitted its third supplementary budget proposal for 2025 to Parliament. Among other things, the proposal sets aside an appropriation for investments in the preparedness of the Finnish Defence Forces’ healthcare services for emergency conditions and updates the tax revenue estimates to correspond to the latest forecast. 

14.11.2025 | A turning point is expected in Finland’s labour market by the end of 2025. Growth in employment is projected to accelerate in 2027, and unemployment to begin falling more clearly.

17.10.2024 | The Government is seeking to strengthen the link between work and work-based residence permits, and to make permit supervision after the entry into Finland more systematic. The proposal takes the long recruitment times of specialists into consideration. At the same time, the proposal would offer foreigners more opportunities to find new work in the national labour shortage sectors. 

7.11.2025 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will hold a public consultation from 7 to 23 November 2025 on a draft government decree setting out provisions on a government grant, which the employment authorities could use to help companies hire unemployed young people under the age of 30. This grant is also known as the employment voucher or recruitment subsidy. It would be awarded to businesses to cover half of the young person’s salary for six months.

10.9.2025 | VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 STATSRÅDET PB 23, 00023 Statsrådet vn.fi/sv Tfn 0295 16001 1(2) Employment package decided on in the government budget session Employment voucher for young people • The Government will...

5.6.2025 | The conditions for obtaining a permanent residence permit will be tightened. For example, the continuous period of residence required for the permit will be extended. Applicants will also be required to demonstrate proficiency in Finnish or Swedish and have a work history of a certain length. The Government submitted to Parliament the relevant proposal for amending the Aliens Act on 5 June.

27.11.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo visited South Africa on 26–27 November. In Pretoria, Prime Minister Orpo met for discussions with the Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile. This was the first-ever visit by a Finnish prime minister to Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country. The main purpose of the visit was to promote commercial and economic relations between Finland and South Africa, and the Prime Minister had several meetings related to export promotion.

13.6.2024 | The Government is seeking to strengthen the link between work and work-based residence permits, and to improve permit supervision. Worker’s residence permit holders in Finland would also have better opportunities to find new employment in sectors with a labour shortage. The Government proposal has been circulated for comments between 13 June and 16 August 2024.

27.3.2025 | The requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship will be tightened in accordance with the Government Programme. Amendments are proposed to the provisions on the establishment of identity, the integrity requirement and the requirement for sufficient financial resources. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on 27 March.

10.11.2025 | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Finland should consolidate general government finances by about EUR 1.5 billion annually. Consolidation should be continued until the fiscal balance is closed and debt begins to decline. The IMF published its statement on the Finnish economy on Monday 10 November.