Rules for unemployment benefits

Registration as a jobseeker

To obtain unemployment benefits you are required to register as a job seeker in the jobcenter at www.jobnet.dk on your first day of unemployment. You must register in the category of benefit recipient.

You must be registered as a job seeker in the jobcenter throughout the entire unemployment period in order to be entitled to unemployment benefits.

Resume on Jobnet (your CV)

Your information must be posted on Jobnet (www.jobnet.dk) 2 weeks after your registration as a job seeker in the jobcenter at the latest.

Your resume must as a minimum include

Under personal information, your phone number and zip code must be visible so the employer can get in touch with you quickly.

Education and previous occupation also have to be provided.

Under occupation and qualifications, wishes regarding jobs are stated. Your wishes must be serious and realistic.

If you want to work in an area where you do not have training or professional experience, you can specify the qualifications that enable you to take on that work.

All unemployed recipients of unemployment benefits are obliged to use the Joblog. You access your Joblog on “My page” at www.jobnet.dk.

The job log provides an overview of your own job search and the ability to continuously document your job search, including planning the upcoming job search with the unemployment fund and your jobcenter.

The Joblog helps the unemployment fund and your jobcenter to follow your progress in order to improve their job search guidance.

In addition, the unemployment fund will use the information in Joblog to assess whether you are looking for enough jobs to meet the conditions of availability based on the agreed job search requirements and related guidance.

You must register all job search activities in the Joblog on a weekly basis and upload (add) job applications to the Joblog. You must upload a number of specific job applications in accordance with the agreement with the unemployment fund. You must register detailed information about jobs you applied for, scheduled job search and enclose any resumes and job applications sent.

It is a condition of the entitlement to unemployment benefits that you are available to the labour market, including that you are actively seeking work. The unemployment insurance fund is obliged to assess your availability on an ongoing basis.

To be available to the labour market, you must:

• Be registered as a job seeker in the jobcenter from your first day of unemployment
• Create a relevant and adequate resume on Jobnet within 2 weeks of signing up as a job seeker in the jobcenter
• Be actively seeking jobs from the first day of unemployment, including when participating in offers, and applying for jobs every week
• Seeking fulltime jobs 
• Seeking jobs with up to 3 hours of daily transportation with public transport (possibly 4 hours)
• Seeking and taking on jobs both within your professional field, and outside your professional field that you are able to do, for example after onsite training or a short training course
• Being realistic and serious in your job search
• Complying with "Job Search Requirements" that you have planned with your unemployment fund
• Continuously registering your job search activities in Joblog at Jobnet.dk
• Being able to take on fair jobs referred to you by the jobcenter at a day's notice
• Staying and residing in Denmark
• Attending interviews and activities to which the unemployment fund, jobcenter or other actor invite you to at a day's notice
• Meeting and participating in offers from the jobcenter or other actor at a day's notice

It is also important that you notify both us and the jobcenter in case of relocation. If you forget, it could have an impact on your daily allowances.

Compulsory self-booking

It is compulsory for all unemployed benefit recipients to self-book job interviews with the jobcenter or with other actors on your "My Page" om www.jobnet.dk.

In addition, you also have an obligation to book 2 availability consultations with Teknikernes A-kasse within the first 6 months of continuous unemployment. This is done through our self-service solution Medlemsportalen. You will be contacted when it's time to book a consultation. In case you attempt to book an availability consultation within the deadline, but are informed that there are no available times, you must contact us.

If you have not booked an availability consultation with us within the deadline and have not contacted us either, we are required to unsubscribe you as a job seeker in the jobcenter. The consequence is that you cannot receive daily allowances, until you have once more registered as a job seeker in the jobcenter.

Mandatory attendance at meetings

When you are unemployed, you have an obligation to participate in the consultations, offers etc., communicated to you by the jobcenter or Teknikernes A-kasse, and it may have consequences for your entitlement to benefits if, for example, you do not show up for a consultation or do not accept and initiate an offer.

Penalties for non-availability and self-induced unemployment

If your unemployment is considered to be self-induced, or you are not deemed available for the labour market, it may influence your right to receive unemployment benefits.

• If you are not available to the labour market in accordance with the guidelines, including actively searching for a job, then it is up to the unemployment insurance fund to decide whether or not you have to fulfill a new term of work in order to once more be eligible for receiving unemployment benefits.
• If you do not participate in a meeting or an activity that the unemployment insurance fund, the jobcenter or other actor require you to attend, then you lose the right to receive unemployment benefits from the day of the planned meeting or activity, until you contact the place that summoned you for the meeting or activity, regarding your failure to attend.
• If you do not show up for an offer you have already initiated, you cannot receive a daily allowance as long as you are not participating in the offer.
• If you terminate a position or decline a job offer, then 3 weeks of quarantine, where you lose the right to receive unemployment benefits, may be imposed on you on the grounds of self-induced unemployment.
• If your unemployment is deemed self-induced twice within 12 months, you will lose the right to receive unemployment benefits, and you have to fulfill a new term of work to be able to receive unemployment benefits again.

Employed work

If you work reduced hours, you can normally receive supplementary unemployment benefit for 30 weeks.

You must complete a form concerning your job so that we can assess what importance your parttime job has for your unemployment benefit. You must contact us before you start your parttime job.

If you are in permanent employment with a period of notice, you must have a discharge certificate to be eligible for supplementary unemployment benefit. The discharge certificate ensures that you can stop from one day to the next if you find work with longer working hours.

The discharge certificate must be received by Teknikernes A-kass not later than five weeks after you became employed. If the certificate is not received in time, supplementary unemployment benefit will only be payable from the date we receive the certificate.

Your own business

If you run your own business parttime you can also normally receive supplementary unemployment benefit for 30 weeks. You must contact us before you start your own business.

As an unemployed person you are obliged to accept an activation offer from your jobcenter.

Activation is agreed under your "My Plan" and can consist of various types of training, upgrading of skills, practical experience or wage subsidy jobs with public and private employers. The aim is to get you quickly into work.

The content of your "My Plan" is essentially based on the needs of the labour market, but your wishes and qualifications are also taken into consideration.

When attending a mandatory work activity scheme, you must still be actively seeking work and be available for work. You may be exempted from this obligation by agreement with your jobcenter.