People who apply for unemployment benefits from March onwards will only be able to receive full unemployment benefits for a maximum of two years. Until now the allowance had been unlimited in time. Allowances for young school leavers will be limited to a maximum of one year.
In future full unemployment benefit provisions consist of a basic period of 12 months, supplemented by an additional period of up to 12 months, depending on the person's employment record. Claimants who have worked for at least one year in the past three years are entitled to 12 months of benefits. Each additional period of four months worked entitles the person to one additional month of benefits.
There are exceptions, for example people over 55 with more than 30 years of recorded employment. This becomes 35 years in 2030. The unemployed who started training for a job on the occupational shortage list before the end of 2025 and artists, recognised dockworkers and fishermen enjoy an exemption.
For jobseekers who are already receiving benefits, there are transition measures whereby entitlement to benefits is being phased out. The first group – unemployed people who had been unemployed for at least 20 years – lost their entitlement to benefits at the beginning of this year.
On 1 March, it will be the turn of the next group: jobseekers who have been unemployed for between 8 and 20 years during their career. In the coming months, other groups of unemployed people will also lose their benefits.