Student jobs and Unemployment Benefits

When you are a new graduate, there are a lot of things you need to consider. For example, whether you can continue to keep your student job or whether your student employment expires when you finish your studies. You may also choose to terminate your student job. Whatever your situation, there are some things you should be aware of. 

If you continue in your student job 

You can continue your part-time student job when you are unemployed. In that case, you can apply for supplementary unemployment benefits. You do this by stating that you are continuing in a job when you fill out a statement of unemployment (your application for unemployment benefits). When you receive supplementary unemployment benefits, you must be available for the job market and search for a full-time job. 

You must be able to quit tomorrow 

To receive unemployment benefits, you must be available to take a job from one day to the other. This means you need to be able to quit your student job and take a full-time job the next day. 

If you have a notice period, you can still meet the availability requirement by having your employer sign a release certificate (frigørelsesattest). A notice period typically means that you must stay in your job, usually for a month after handing in your resignation. 

With a release certificate, your employer allows you to leave without notice if you’re offered a full-time position. 

In other words, your employer agrees to release you from your notice period.  

We must receive your signed release certificate no later than five weeks after the date you become eligible for unemployment benefits. 

Download the release certificate (PDF) 

If your student job expires or you are terminated 

If your student job is dependent on you being in education or if your employer terminates you, you can - until your employment ends - apply for supplementary unemployment benefits and continue in your student job while receiving unemployment benefits. However, you must still be available for the job market and looking for a full-time job. 

It is important that you do not terminate your student job, even if the job depends on you being in education. 

You want to quit your student job 

If you quit your student job yourself, you may risk getting a 3-week quarantine for being self-induced unemployed. You are self-inflicted unemployed if: 

• you have been a member of Akademikernes A-kasse or another unemployment insurance fund for more than 1 year on your last day of work, and 
• you could receive unemployment benefits based on your work (i.e. you have earned the right to unemployment benefits as an employee). 

You will not receive a quarantine if you have a valid reason for resigning.