From 30 June 2023, the unemployment insurance period will depend not only on your unemployment insurance programme seniority but also on the labour market situation relative to previous years. To assess the labour market situation, the Unemployment Insurance Fund records the number of registered unemployed each month and compares it to the average number of registered unemployed both in the last 10 and the last three years. If the labour market situation is very good, finding a job is easier and the benefit period will not be extended. If the labour market situation is worse, then it may be more difficult to find a job and the Unemployment Insurance Fund will grant the benefit for a longer period.

Monthly statistics on the numbers of registered unemployed and extensions of unemployment insurance periods can be found here.

The unemployment insurance benefit for the base period is determined on the basis of unemployment insurance seniority as follows:

If the labour market situation is very good, the base period is retained, and the benefit will not be extended.

If the labour market situation is average (the number of registered unemployed is at least 80% of the average of the last 10 years or higher than the average of the last three years), the benefit will be extended as follows:

If the labour market situation is poor (the number of registered unemployed is at least 20% more than the average of the last three years), the benefit will be extended as follows:

 

• To extend the unemployment insurance benefit period, you do not have to apply for or confirm anything.
• Whether your unemployment insurance period is extended will be determined by the 10th of the month before its termination. If the benefit period is extended, you will be notified by e-mail on the 11th (if you do not have an e-mail address, the notice will be sent by post). The notice can also be found in our online self-service environment.

For example, if your unemployment insurance period terminates on 25 January 2024, you will find out whether it will be extended by 10 December 2023. If the benefit period is extended, you will be notified on 11 December 2023.

 

• The decision to extend the unemployment insurance benefit period is made automatically on the calendar day two days after its termination date. The decision will be sent to you by e-mail (if you do not have an e-mail address, it will be sent by post), and can also be found in the online self-service environment, along with other unemployment insurance benefit decisions.

For example, if your unemployment insurance period ends on 25 January 2024, the necessary conditions for extension are met and you are still registered as unemployed on 26 January 2024, the decision to extend the benefit period will be taken on 27 January 2024.

FAQ for the unemployment benefit period

We explain everything related to the extension of unemployment insurance periods in greater detail below:

Extension of the unemployment insurance period under option I (if the labour market situation is average)

 
Conditions for extending the unemployment insurance period:

1. the number of registered unemployed on the last day of the calendar month preceding the last day of the unemployment insurance period (“reference month”) is:

a) greater than or equal to the product of the average number of registered unemployed in the 120 months preceding the reference month and the value 0.8 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in the reference month must account for at least 80% of the of the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding 10 years), or

b) greater than or equal to the average number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding the reference month (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in the reference month must be greater than or equal to the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years), and

2. you are registered as unemployed on the day after your unemployment insurance base period terminates.
    

Example:

You have been granted unemployment insurance benefit for the period 30 June 2023 to 25 January 2024 (210 calendar days).

The reference month is November 2023 (the number of registered unemployed as of 30 November 2023 will be published by 10 December 2023).

Your unemployment insurance period will automatically be extended by 60 calendar days until 25 March 2024 if:

1. the number of registered unemployed on 30 November 2023 is:

 a) greater than or equal to the product of the average number of registered unemployed in the 120 months preceding November 2023 and the value 0.8 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in November 2023 must account for at least 80% of the number of registered unemployed in the preceding 10 years from November 2013 to October 2023), or

 b) greater than or equal to the average number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding November 2023 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in November 2023 must be greater than or equal to the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years from November 2020 to October 2023), and

2. you are registered as unemployed on 26 January 2024.

 

Extension of the unemployment insurance period under option II (if the labour market situation is poor).

Conditions for extending the unemployment insurance period:

1. the number of registered unemployed on the last day of the calendar month preceding the last day of the unemployment insurance period (“reference month”) is greater than or equal to the product of the number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding the reference month and the value 1.2 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in the reference month must be at least 20% greater than the average of the number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years), and
2. you are registered as unemployed on the day after your unemployment insurance base period terminates.
    

Example:

You have been granted unemployment insurance benefit for the period 30 June 2023 to 25 January 2024 (210 calendar days).

The reference month is November 2023 (the number of registered unemployed as of 30 November 2023 will be published by 10 December 2023).

Your unemployment insurance period will automatically be extended by 120 calendar days until 24 June 2024 if:

1. the number of registered unemployed on 30 November 2023 is greater than or equal to the product of the number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding November 2023 and the value 1.2 (e.g., the number of registered unemployed in November 2023 must be at least 20% greater than the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years from November 2020 to October 2023), and
2. you are registered as unemployed on 26 January 2024.

 

Extension of the unemployment insurance period if the period has already been extended

This is a situation where the unemployment insurance period of 210 or 300 calendar days has already been extended once by 60 days under extension option I, but the labour market situation has worsened over the period of two months. In this case, the benefit period will be extended by an additional 60 days.

Conditions for extending the unemployment insurance period:

1. the initial unemployment insurance period (210 or 300 calendar days) was automatically extended by 60 days (up to 270 or 360 calendar days);
2. the number of registered unemployed on the last day of the calendar month preceding the last day of the extended unemployment insurance period (“new reference month”) is greater than or equal to the product of the number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding the new reference month and the value 1.2 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in the reference month must be at least 20% greater than the average of the number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years), and
3. you are registered as unemployed on the day after your extended unemployment insurance period terminates.
    

Example:

You have been granted unemployment insurance benefit for the period 30 June 2023 to 25 January 2024 (210 calendar days). The benefit period was automatically extended by 60 days until 25 March 2024 under option I.

The new reference month is January 2024 (the number of registered unemployed as of 31 January 2024 will be published by 10 February 2024).

Your unemployment insurance period will automatically be extended by an additional 60 calendar days until 24 May 2024 if:

1. the number of registered unemployed on 31 January 2024 is greater than or equal to the product of the number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding November 2024 and the value 1.2 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in November 2023 must be at least 20% greater than the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years from January 2021 to December 2024), and
2. you are registered as unemployed on 26 March 2024.

 

Extension of the unemployment insurance period under the law in force until 29 June 2023

The unemployment insurance period (180, 270 or 360 calendar days) granted under the law in force until 29 June 2023 will be extended if the initial period terminates in July 2023 or later and the following conditions are met:

1. the number of registered unemployed on the last day of the calendar month preceding the last day of the unemployment insurance period (“reference month”) is greater than or equal to the product of the number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding the reference month and the value 1.2 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in the reference month must be at least 20% greater than the average of the number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years), and
2. you are registered as unemployed on the day after your unemployment insurance period terminates.
    

Example:

You have been granted unemployment insurance benefit for the period 03 April 2023 to 28 December 2023 (270 calendar days).

The reference month is October 2023 (the number of registered unemployed as of 31 October 2023 will be published by November 2023).

Your unemployment insurance benefit period will automatically be extended by 60 calendar days until 26 February 2024 if:

1. the number of registered unemployed on 31 October 2023 is greater than or equal to the product of the average number of registered unemployed in the 36 months preceding October 2023 and the value 1.2 (i.e. the number of registered unemployed in October 2023 must be at least 20% greater than the average number of registered unemployed in the preceding three years from October 2020 to September 2023), and
2. you are registered as unemployed on 29 December 2023.

 

Unemployment insurance periods during the transition phase

• If the decision to grant the benefit is made after 29 June 2023 and the start date of the benefit period is after 29 June 2023, you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 210 or 300 calendar days under the law in force from 30 June 2023.

For example, if the decision to grant the benefit is taken on 5 July 2023 and the benefit period starts on 12 July 2023, you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 210 or 300 calendar days.

 

• If the decision to grant the benefit is taken before 30 June 2023, and the starting date of the benefit period is after 29 June 2023, you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 270 or 360 calendar days under the law in force until 29 June 2023.

For example, if the decision to grant benefits is taken on 4 June 2023 and the benefit period starts on 4 July 2023 (a 30-day waiting period applies), you will be granted unemployment insurance benefits for 180, 270 or 360 calendar days.

 

• If the starting date of the benefit period is before 30 June 2023, you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 270 or 360 calendar days under the law in force until 29 June 2023, regardless of whether the decision to grant the benefit is made before or after 30 June 2023.

For example, if the decision to grant the benefit is made on 20 June 2023 and the benefit period starts on 27 June 2023, you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 270 or 360 calendar days.

If the decision to grant the benefit is made on 8 August 2023 and the benefit period retroactively starts on 29 June 2023 (the proceedings may take longer if you work in the European Union, for example), you will be granted unemployment insurance benefit for 180, 270 or 360 calendar days.