From today, it is possible for those short-term foreign workers s who are currently unemployed, but have the right to continue working in Estonia in case they find a job to receive job mediation from Unemployment Insurance Fund. Previously, an employee had to be at a previous job to receive a job mediation from Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund.
In co-operation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Unemployment Insurance Fund, job mediation will be offered to those short-term foreign workers who have lost their jobs in order to more flexibly match the labour supply and the need for seasonal labor. "In the crisis, there has been the foreigners who have lost their jobs and their right to work for a short time is still valid, but leaving Estonia is difficult due to travel restrictions. We wish that these potential workers could meet with employers in labour shortages in agriculture and other sectors. With this, we are alleviating both the shortage of seasonal workers and unemployment among short-term workers, which is why we have also made the conditions of job mediation offered by Unemployment Insurance Fund's more flexible," explained Minister of Social Affairs Tanel Kiik.
In order to alleviate the labour shortage in the agricultural sector caused by the coronavirus and international movement restrictions, the Aliens Act allows, by way of exception, short-term workers whose period of employment has ended to work in the agricultural sector until the end of July. Widening job mediation helps to alleviate agricultural labour shortages in particular.
Under normal circumstances, the short-term foreign worker has the right to register as a jobseeker and receive job mediation only during employment if he or she wishes to change jobs. As an exception from today, short-term employees who lost their jobs and stayed in Estonia as of 17 March 2020 or who continue to have a valid right to work here for a short period of time can also register as jobseekers and use the job mediation service.
In order to receive a job mediation, short-term foreign worker must register as a jobseeker by submitting an application to the Unemployment Insurance Fund on the spot or by telephone. As foreign workers may not be able to use job portal due to lack of Estonian language Unemployment Insurance Fund's employment mediation portal themselves, job offers are mediated by the Unemployment Insurance Fund's advisers.
The job mediation service of the Unemployment Insurance Fund is free of charge for both jobseekers and employers. Additional information is available from the Unemployment Insurance Fund offices or from the information line 15501.