The government decided on the employment area of Ostrobothnia

Under the reform, responsibility for organising TE services can be transferred either to a municipality or to a cooperative area made up of several municipalities with a labour force base of at least 20,000 people. In this way, it is ensured that there are sufficient resources for the organisation of TE services and that the services are equally accessible to job seekers across Finland.

Vaasa is the only municipality in the Ostrobothnia region that alone meets the criteria required by law. Therefore, in accordance with the decision of the City Board of March 5, 2023, Vaasa started to organise the employment area using the responsible municipality model.

By the end of October 2023, the following municipalities in Ostrobothnia had applied to join the employment area organised by Vaasa: Uusikaarlepyy, Vöyri, Mustasaari, Laihia, Maalahti, Närpiö and Korsnäs. In its meeting on February 22, the Government also decided to include Kaskinen in the employment area of Ostrobothnia.

The reform focuses on the residents of the municipality: the aim is, among other things, to improve the availability and diversity of employment services and to speed up the process of finding a job by providing services locally. The reform will enable municipalities to develop services based on the needs of their own residents and local employers, thus strengthening the vitality and the overall competitiveness of the regions.

Learn more about the TE24 reform in the employment area of Ostrobothnia.