A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

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duygu
Posts: 11
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 12:10 am

A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

Post by duygu » Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:31 am

I have been living here for 2 years now, and I have completed my kotoutumiskoulutus. I want to work in a full-time job, but as you may know, it is very hard to find one even though I have been trying for months. (I assume at this point you guess I am not an IT person or an engineer)

My husband is also unemployed. Because we get housing and toimeentulotuki as well, the system forces us to be either both unemployed or both employed at the same time.

The company I did freelance work before moving to Finland offered me to participate in 3 small-scale research projects, but the payment will not be enough to support me and my family monthly. I'm not even mentioning about the tax amount I have to pay and the possibility of the termination of our benefits. - Even if I continue to get benefits, the amount of money I receive will be cut from the benefit amount if I am not mistaken - I will have worked for free. (I know that they allow you to earn up to some amount around 400€ for unemployment benefits, but toimeentulotuki is not the same)

If I or my husband manage to find a job at some point, then the issue is that it will probably not be enough to cover the expenses as it is unlikely that either of us will find a job that pays 1600 (net).

Only good scenario would be that we both find a job almost at the same time regardless of the amount of salaries.

Does anyone have a similar experience? I'm almost losing my mind here, wanting to work but trying to be realistic at the same time.


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A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

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FinnGuyHelsinki
Posts: 1439
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:52 pm

Re: A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

Post by FinnGuyHelsinki » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:06 am

duygu wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:31 am
I have been living here for 2 years now, and I have completed my kotoutumiskoulutus. I want to work in a full-time job, but as you may know, it is very hard to find one even though I have been trying for months. (I assume at this point you guess I am not an IT person or an engineer)

My husband is also unemployed. Because we get housing and toimeentulotuki as well, the system forces us to be either both unemployed or both employed at the same time.

The company I did freelance work before moving to Finland offered me to participate in 3 small-scale research projects, but the payment will not be enough to support me and my family monthly. I'm not even mentioning about the tax amount I have to pay and the possibility of the termination of our benefits. - Even if I continue to get benefits, the amount of money I receive will be cut from the benefit amount if I am not mistaken - I will have worked for free. (I know that they allow you to earn up to some amount around 400€ for unemployment benefits, but toimeentulotuki is not the same)

If I or my husband manage to find a job at some point, then the issue is that it will probably not be enough to cover the expenses as it is unlikely that either of us will find a job that pays 1600 (net).

Only good scenario would be that we both find a job almost at the same time regardless of the amount of salaries.

Does anyone have a similar experience? I'm almost losing my mind here, wanting to work but trying to be realistic at the same time.
Another way to look at it, as opposed to "working for free", is that at least you would be working, getting more experience, possibly opening avenues for more work. Not to mention getting something worthwhile to do, for your mental well-being. If you stay unemployed for a few more years, the chances of you finding work will be smaller still, with nothing to show for the potential new employer. "Yeah I received the same without doing anything, so I couldn't be bothered", not the best sales pitch for getting hired over someone else who at least has been trying.

FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

Post by FinlandGirl » Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:20 pm

duygu wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 1:31 am
My husband is also unemployed. Because we get housing and toimeentulotuki as well, the system forces us to be either both unemployed or both employed at the same time.
Why are you forced to stay unemployed?

If you don't get more money when working that doesn't force you to stay unemployed, it only increases the motivation of your Finnish husband to also find a job after you found work.

NukkuMatti
Posts: 273
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2015 9:51 pm

Re: A dilemma created by the Finnish system is making me go crazy.

Post by NukkuMatti » Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:00 am

Basically the Finnish unemployment benefit system punishes you to accept full time low wage jobs when you live here with a family / partner.

The income gap you will fall in is one of the most severe not understood problems, jobless people experience when applying for a job.

Long time ago, I have had myself in a situation where I was jobless with my wife in permanent sick leave and then got the opportunity to do a 4 month project for 20 hours a week.

I received already everything like unemployment benefits, toimeentulotuki, asumistuki.
In the end I agreed to work for a such low wage, that täydentävätoimeentulotuki actually needed to pay my bus ticket to go to work, I benefited 100 € a month from the work, (free amount extra per month for toimeentulotuki) but it was fun to do...

The stupid thing was that because my employer was an embassy of another country, they do not pay taxes here in Finland and the Finnish state needed to pay my travel expenses because the salary was too low. How about that...!!

But agreed, if my salary would have been for a full-time job , I would have earned more than my unemployment benefits and I would have had 300€ less each month due to asumistuki going down and no more toimeentulotuki and the need to pay my travel and wife's doctor bills myself.

For that reason I accepted the job at such a low wage...because the job was real fun...could drive a diplomat car and got to places where you as a normal citizen will never be allowed to come..

So the lesson of this story is that "if you are going to work for (almost) free, do something that is fun!!! and try to find a part time job so you will keep your benefits." (or at least most of it).

For the rest the job system is rotten to the core for foreigners but that is a whole other discussion for another time...


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