The government is proposing changes aimed at making it easier for unemployed people to study without risking their benefits.Matias Marttinen said the government has not abandoned its goal of creating 100,000 new jobs. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / YleYle News16:42The government plans to ease restrictions on studying while unemployed and admits the current system places too many burdens on benefit recipients.Under a legislative proposal published earlier this month, unemployed people aged over 25 would be allowed to take open university studies without automatically risking their unemployment benefits.Currently, employment authorities assess whether the scope of a person’s studies prevents them from receiving support.Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen (NCP) said that the government wants to improve opportunities for unemployed people to build skills and pursue education. The legal changes are expected to take effect next autumn."The system has become burdensome"Marttinen said reform is needed, particularly as unemployment among university graduates has also increased."I have noticed that there is a lot of bureaucracy and rigidity in the system, and that is why we are making changes to make it easier for the unemployed to study," Marttinen noted.Marttinen said that the government wants to reduce the reporting obligation of the unemployed.When asked whether jobless people are currently being overregulated, Marttinen agreed."In my opinion, yes. There have been grounds for regulation, but the system has become burdensome. Experts in the field also hope that the administrative work would be reduced," he said.The media has repeatedly reported cases in which people have lost benefits after studying too much, volunteering or carrying out small-scale business activities.Authorities have also examined unemployed people's social media activity in some cases.According to Marttinen, the government is not currently planning broader changes concerning volunteer work, but he said efforts to simplify the rules are ongoing."The worst situation is when an unemployed person does not know what they can do without losing their income security," he said.Jobs target remainsThe minister said prolonged economic weakness has increased the need for reforms.Despite challenging labour market conditions, Marttinen said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s (NCP) government has not abandoned its goal of creating 100,000 new jobs."I hope that the turbulence in the global economy will calm down. If this happens, the rest of the year could be moderately good for the economy. The good news is that employment will improve in the coming years," Marttinen added.