Comments sought on amendments to the Act on Municipal Experiments to Promote Employment: Proposal to improve employment opportunities of people who have fled the war in Ukraine

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests comments on the Government’s draft proposal to amend the Act on Municipal Experiments to Promote Employment. The legislative amendments would improve employment opportunities for people who have fled the war in Ukraine and clarify the regulation on Työkanava Ltd.

The deadline for comments on the draft proposal is 20 October 2022 at 16.00.

Beneficiaries of temporary protection to participate in local government pilots

Finland has granted temporary protection to approximately 40,000 people, who have fled the war in Ukraine. Temporary protection is based on an EU directive on temporary protection, which has been applied in Finland for the first time due to the war in Ukraine. Granting temporary protection makes it possible to provide protection to a limited group of people in a swift process that is lighter than the asylum procedure.

To promote their employment, the Government proposes that beneficiaries of temporary protection who do not have a municipality of residence could also become clients of the local government pilots on employment. 

Under the current legislation, all immigrants and foreign-language speakers in the municipalities participating in the pilots are clients of the pilots. However, such persons are required to have a municipality of residence. It is now proposed that this requirement under the Municipality of Residence Act would not apply to beneficiaries of temporary protection.

Local government pilots to have the right to direct customers to Työkanava Ltd

Työkanava Ltd is a limited liability company owned and controlled by the State, whose task is to promote the transition of people with impaired work capacity to the open labour market.

The Government proposes to clarify the Act on Municipal Experiments to Promote Employment to give a municipality participating in the local government pilot the right to decide whether a person meets the conditions under the Act on Työkanava Ltd for employment at Työkanava. 

The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in November 2022. The act is set to enter into force as soon as possible.

Inquiries:
Anna Aaltonen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 295 504 7097