South Karelia recruitment support

The municipalities of South Karelia, in cooperation with companies in the region, prepared a new type of support to promote vitality. The new recruitment support offers companies and associations the opportunity to strengthen their workforce and support the transition of unemployed job seekers into working life. The recruitment support is a discretionary, budget-linked separate bonus to support employers in recruitment. The recruitment support will be developed based on the experience gained in cooperation with companies and associations. Recruitment support can be applied for from 1.9.2025 September XNUMX.

The value of the recruitment support is €4500. 

Recruitment support is applied for from the employee's municipality of residence.

Recruitment support terms and conditions

General terms and conditions for companies, associations and organizations:

• Finnish business ID and location located in the province of South Karelia
• No barriers to employment (e.g. layoffs)
• Wage subsidies may not be used for wages.
• The employee must be paid a wage in accordance with the collective agreement, but if there is no applicable collective agreement, then a normal and reasonable wage for the work in question.
• The employment relationship must be continuous for at least 12 months and the working hours must be at least 81 percent of the total working hours in the industry.
• Support can also be granted for apprenticeship training, as well as its individual parts of the degree as part of the employment relationship.

Additional terms and conditions for companies:

• The person to be hired must be an unemployed job seeker who is receiving support. The granting municipality pays the municipal funding share for at least 201 days of unemployment benefit.
• Support can only be granted to the same employee once, but a company can apply for support for several employees.

Additional conditions for associations and organizations:

• The person to be hired must be long-term unemployed (during the 12 months preceding the 14 months) or partially able-bodied
• Max. 1 person/year

Are you interested in recruitment?

• Once an employment contract has been concluded with an employee, you can apply for recruitment support by filling out electronic application form.
• Recruitment support must be applied for at the start of the employment relationship, but it can also be applied for afterwards for employment relationships that started in the same year.
• Company can receive recruitment support for several employees who meet the criteria and are hired at the same time. Note! Associations and organizations max. 1 person/year.
• The application form asks for information related to the employment contract and the employee's consent to the submission of salary slips to the municipality and the monitoring of the use of recruitment support.
• The municipality makes a decision on whether to accept the employer for recruitment support and sends the decision to the employer by email.

Amount and payment of support

• The reward of €4500/employed job seeker to be hired will be paid in two installments once a positive decision has been made on the recruitment support. Invoicing instructions will be provided in connection with the decision.
• After 6 months, the employer can invoice the municipality that granted the support for €3000.
• After 12 months, the employer can invoice the municipality that granted the support for €1500. (if the employee's employment condition is met for 12 months)
• A pay slip is attached to the invoice. The pay slip must show: employee's name, company name, time of work, actual hours worked and salary paid.
• The municipality of residence is checked when the payment is made. The employee can apply for support from another municipality in South Karelia if the municipality of residence changes.
• Any interruption of salary payments or changes in the employment relationship must be reported immediately. employmentimatra.fi (tyolilyss[at]imatra[dot]fi)
• Recruitment support must be invoiced no later than three months after the employment condition has been met.