Unemployment benefit in general

Employees' rights to unemployment benefit

Employees can receive unemployment benefit if unemployed for a period.

Conditions for receiving unemployment benefit

You can receive unemployment benefit if you

• Are unemployed
• Have been a member of an unemployment benefit scheme for the past 12 months
• Meet the work requirements, i.e. you have had 52 weeks of full-time work (1,924 hours) as full-time insured or 1,258 hours work as part-time insured within the past three years.
• Are registered with your municipal job centre (jobnet.dk)
• Can seek and undertake work for 37 hours per week if you are full-time insured and 30 hours per week if you are part-time insured.

How much can you receive from AAK?
In general, the unemployment benefit rate is calculated on the basis of the most recent three months work. You will receive 90 per cent of the average salary income less labour market contribution.

However, you can never receive more than the highest unemployment benefit rate which, in 2012, is DKK 788 per day for five days per week. This equates to an average of DKK 17,073 per month.

To qualify for the highest unemployment benefit rate, you must have worked for at least 24 hours and 40 minutes per week at a monthly salary of about DKK 20,000.

However, you cannot have an unemployment benefit rate calculated if it is less than one year since the last calculation of an unemployment benefit rate.

When can you receive unemployment benefit?
You can normally receive unemployment benefit from the first day of unemployment. However, your employer often has to pay your unemployment benefit for the first three days - so-called G-days. After this, AAK will pay your unemployment benefit.

If you are under a notice period during which you can claim salary from your employer, you become unemployed after the notice period expires. This also applies even if you are not working during the notice period.

Quarantine before unemployment benefit?
If you have terminated your employment yourself or if you are responsible for losing your job, you will normally receive unemployment benefit following 111 hours quarantine. It is important, however, that you register with the job centre on the first day after the expiry of the notice period.

A quarantine is effective, i.e. compensated, in weeks when you would have been entitled to unemployment benefit. It is important, therefore, that you make yourself available for work with the job centre.