Services that promote employment

‘Services that promote employment’ (TE-Services) are services provided by the employment authority that are designed to support job-seekers in finding work or getting into education or training that prepares them for an occupation. You can receive an earnings-related allowance while enrolled in services that promote employment if you satisfy the general eligibility criteria for unemployment benefits.

Services that promote employment include

• labour market training
• independent study
• job search training and career coaching
• work and training trials
• rehabilitative work and
• independent study pursuant to the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration

Recruitment trials do not count as services that promote employment.

If you are interested in services that promote employment, contact the employment authority.

Earnings-related allowance while enrolled in services that promote employment

You can receive an earnings-related allowance while enrolled in services that promote employment if you satisfy the general eligibility criteria for unemployment benefits. You can also be paid an earnings-related allowance while participating in services even if you have been imposed a mandatory waiting period or a personal liability period.

Once you have agreed with the employment authority to enrol in a service that promotes employment, the employment authority will give us a statement about your circumstances.

Use the daily columns in the application form to identify days on which you attended the service.

Earnings-related increment

We can add an earnings-related increment to your earnings-related allowance for any periods during which you take advantage of services that promote employment, if the service starts no later than 31 December 2024. You can receive the earnings-related increment for a maximum period of 200 days. You do not have to apply for the earnings-related increment separately. All we need is for you to mention in your earnings-related allowance application that you are taking advantage of services that promote employment and for the employment authority to give us a statement about your circumstances.

You can learn more about the earnings-related increment under Amount of the earnings-related allowance.

You can use our daily allowance calculator to estimate the amount of your earnings-related allowance.

Expense allowance

You can receive an expense allowance for periods during which you are enrolled in services that promote employment. The expense allowance is EUR 9 per day. If you need to travel outside of your working area to take advantage of the service, we can pay you a higher expense allowance, which is EUR 18 per day.

Expense allowances are only paid for the days on which you participate and for a maximum of five days a week. No tax is payable on expense allowances.

You cannot receive an expense allowance for days on which you did not attend. If you are enrolled in labour market training, you can also receive an expense allowance for days that you do not attend but not for days on which classes are not run due to holidays.

Contrary to other services that promote employment, expense allowances are not paid for periods of independent study.

Expense allowance while abroad

Job-seekers who attend labour market training provided by the Arctic Vocational Foundation (Utbildning Nord) are entitled to an expense allowance of EUR 16.82 per day. The allowance can be paid for up to seven days a week. Accommodation is provided free of charge for job-seekers who attend labour market training run by the Arctic Vocational Foundation.

Absences

Remember to mention in your earnings-related allowance application if you miss any days of services that promote employment. You also need to provide reasons for your absences. If you give an acceptable reason, you can still receive an earnings-related allowance for the day in question, but no expense allowance.

Acceptable reasons for absences include

• job interview
• illness
• illness of a child under 10 years of age (lasting up to four days) and
• performance of a public duty or similar.

If you miss more than three days due to being ill yourself, you will need to enclose a sick note with your earnings-related allowance application.

If you are engaged in labour market training or independent study, you can also receive an earnings-related allowance for days on which you did not attend.

Participants aged 57 years and above in TE Services

Reaching the end of your maximum earnings-related allowance period does not prevent the continued payment of your allowance if you are

• attending rehabilitation or labour market training on account of being subject to the employment obligation that applies to 57–59-year-olds. These services do not count towards satisfying the employment requirement.
• attending any service that promotes employment on account of being subject to the employment obligation that applies to persons aged 60 years and above. These services count towards satisfying the employment requirement in respect of full weeks.

It is no longer possible for an employment obligation to arise on or after 2 September 2024.

Participants aged under 25 years in TE Services

If you are under the age of 25, you can receive an earnings-related allowance for periods that you attend TE Services even if you have

• failed to apply for training without a valid reason, or
• failed to be admitted on a course due to your actions, or
• turned down a place on a course.

You can only receive an earnings-related allowance for the duration of your participation in a service that promotes employment in the aforementioned circumstances if the circumstances arose before the provision of the service began. If one of the aforementioned circumstances arises while you are already enrolled in a service, you will not be entitled to an earnings-related allowance except in the case of labour market training or independent study.