Unemployment Fund Ote to Launch – Service Interruption 23 December 2025–1 January 2026
As of 1 January 2026, all Specia members will automatically belong to the new unemployment fund, as Unemployment Fund Ote begins its operations. The fund is formed by merging the Erko Unemployment Fund for Highly Educated Professionals and the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science. The new fund will become the largest unemployment fund within the Akava community, offering even stronger support for multidisciplinary experts.
What do Specia members need to know?
- No action is required on your part. Your Erko membership will be transferred automatically to the new Unemployment Fund Ote on 1 January 2026.
- Unemployment security and benefit conditions remain unchanged. The calculation and payment of the daily allowance will continue as before.
- There will be a short service interruption between 23 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.
During this time, applications for daily allowance cannot be submitted or processed. Online services will resume immediately once the interruption has ended. Read more about the interruption here. - Membership in the fund is included in your monthly Specia membership fee. No separate payments or registrations are required.
- If you are applying for unemployment benefits, or plan to do so later this year, please take the above service interruption into account when planning your application schedule.
Why is the change being made?
The new unemployment fund brings together a broad and diverse member base of professionals working in fields such as:
administration, HR, communications, culture, education, research, social and health services, as well as the arts and events sector.
A broader membership base enables:
- greater financial stability for the fund,
- improved opportunities to develop services,
- maintaining a reasonable membership fee level in the future.
We will keep our members informed as the transition progresses and share any practical instructions if needed. Unemployment Fund Ote will form an important part of your career security and an easily accessible benefit included in your Specia membership.
Read more on the website of our umbrella organisation, Akavan Erityisalat