Does light entrepreneurship count towards the employment condition?

The employment condition is the rule that determines whether you qualify for earnings-related unemployment allowance. For a light entrepreneur, it depends on whether you're considered an employee or an entrepreneur under unemployment security.

How is the condition met?

• Part-time light entrepreneur: If you're in paid employment and do gigs on the side, your paid work builds up the employee's employment condition as normal.
• Full-time light entrepreneur: If you employ yourself entirely as a light entrepreneur, it's worth taking out YEL insurance and joining a self-employed persons' unemployment fund. This way, you build up the entrepreneur's employment condition (requires at least 15 months of activity).

If you only do occasional, small gigs without YEL insurance, they generally don't build up the employment condition, but you may be entitled to Kela's labour market subsidy.