Study Finds Unemployment Benefit Protection Components Boosted Part-Time Work Without Harming Full-Time Employment Prospects—Government Rules Out Reinstatement
A recent study by Finnish researchers has concluded that protection components in unemployment benefits and housing allowance—abolished by the current government in 2024—significantly increased part-time work among the unemployed without reducing their chances of later securing full-time employment. The findings have reignited debate over the policy’s removal, with opposition parties now calling for its reinstatement, though Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Minister of Social Security Karoliina Partanen have firmly rejected these demands, stating no changes will be made during this government term.