A man from Jyväskylä ceased his part-time job due to government cuts making it unprofitable, leaving him with a drastically reduced income.
Tuomas, a resident of Jyväskylä, stopped his part-time job delivering mail as the recent cuts implemented by the government rendered his work unprofitable. With the removal of a €150 earnings deduction from the basic income support, Tuomas was estimated to earn only around €4 per delivery, which made working irrational from a financial perspective.
As a result of these cuts, Tuomas's monthly income is set to decrease from €700 to €550, as there will also be a 2-3% reduction in the basic component of social assistance. Research from Kela and VATT indicates that the number of part-time workers receiving benefits dropped significantly in 2024, paralleling the removal of a €300 protection amount from unemployment and housing benefits.
Tuomas expresses his frustrations by stating that, under the current circumstances, there is no reason to work other than charity. These government decisions have made it increasingly difficult for low-income earners like Tuomas to find financial viability in part-time employment, raising concerns about the impact of such policies on the socioeconomic landscape in Finland.
