Traffic congestion has been relieved in the employment area of North Central Finland and everyday life is already going well.
After the historic TE reform, services in the new North Central Finland employment region were congested at the beginning of the year. Now everyday life is already running smoothly and customers are being served smoothly. Information systems and telephone service are also working well. There are still delays in payments, but resources have been added to handle them.
Customer service in a good way
– Calls from jobseeker and employer customers in the employment area can generally be answered or returned within the same day. We have been able to conduct initial interviews with jobseekers within the deadlines set by law, Employment Manager Riikka Hytönen says.
– Customer contact requests can be processed within the deadlines. Unemployment insurance matters are also well handled, service manager Heidi Varhe more.
The telephone service receives approximately 50 calls daily. Approximately 15 new customers come to the employment area daily.
The number of contact requests from customers in the immigrant employment area is reasonable, and we are able to handle new customers and unemployment insurance statements.
The number of job security situations is growing rapidly. The change negotiations that began in the region in January involve almost 600 employees.
– The increased security situations in the entire employment area are now keeping us busy, and employers are receiving guidance and service from us. We are experiencing a backlog in payments, but the start-up funds for new entrepreneurs were paid on the last day of January, as scheduled, says Riikka Hytönen.
From now on, start-up grants will be paid once a month, either on the 15th or at the end of the month, meaning they will be applied for one month at a time. The employment sector is on schedule when it comes to the payment of start-up grants.
There are still delays in wage subsidy payments, but resources have been increased and applications for October 2024 are currently being processed. Discretionary expense reimbursements have also already been processed.
– We haven't had that many problems with the systems. The experts have also praised the good team spirit and the fact that help is always available when needed, says Heidi Varhe.
Personnel are actively supported in the change, weekly work situation reviews are organized and other support for everyday work is available. Employees have been provided with, among other things, consulting opportunities in unemployment security, the Employment Services Organization Act, and independent studies. Partial remote work is now also possible.
The organization is still ongoing.
The collective bargaining negotiations concerning over 60 employees in the North Central Finland employment area are still ongoing, more recruitments are coming, and the organization of the employment area is still in its early stages.
– At the moment, we are handling customer relationships jointly, and customers do not currently have their own designated contact person. When the employment area is finally organized, we will move to the model of our own personal expert. We now serve customers mainly by telephone, and not yet face-to-face in municipalities by appointment, employment area director Tiina Maenpaa says.
The North Central Finland employment region has now opened its own social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. It is worth following the employment region's current announcements on these and your own municipality's social media channels.
Due to system changes, we are not yet able to send mass text messages and emails directly to customers. Customers have received phishing messages in the name of the employment area. Employment areas do not send messages with links that require you to log in with your bank account information.
The city of Äänekoski acts as the responsible municipality for the employment area of 13 municipalities, so feedback on the activities of the employment area can be provided in the city's electronic feedback service at aanekoski.fi/palaute.
The North Central Finland employment area will offer statutory employment services in Hankasalmi, Kannonkoski, Karstula, Kinnula, Kivijärvi, Konnevesi, Kyyjärvi, Laukaa, Pihtipudaa, Saarijärvi, Uurainen, Viitasaari and Äänekoski from the beginning of 2025. Municipalities may also have non-statutory employment services for their own residents, companies and employers.
– We work closely with municipalities. Seamless cooperation and good interaction between municipalities and the employment area is of paramount importance, says Tiina Mäenpää.
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News published, modified 13.2.2025 at 13:00
