The merger of the Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees Erko with the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science has been confirmed
The Financial Supervisory Authority has given its consent and confirmation for the merger. The merger will take effect on 1 January 2026. With the merger, the new Unemployment Fund Ote will begin operations on 1 January 2026.
The Unemployment Fund for Education and Science and the Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees Erko approved the merger agreement at their meetings on 20 May 2025. The rules of the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science were amended at an extraordinary meeting held on 6 August 2025 to correspond to the agreement.
The Financial Supervisory Authority confirms the merger of the Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees Erko into the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science of 1 January 2026 and also confirms the rules of the fund. Official announcements regarding the merger were published on the websites of the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science and the Financial Supervisory Authority as of 6 June 2025. The Unemployment Fund for Higher Educated Employees Erko published a merger notice in Helsingin Sanomat on 6 June 2025.
The Unemployment Fund Ote will be a multidisciplinary fund open to salaried employees with higher education. It will be responsible for paying its members earnings-related unemployment benefits. The fund will cooperate with 19 trade unions and background organizations.
The establishment of the new fund does not require any action from the members of Erko or the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science and the members’ unemployment security or benefit payments will not be affected.
