The government has allocated some 21.6 million euros worth of employment appropriations for businesses in its supplementary budget. After the capital region the area to be given the most additional funding is South-East Finland, whose businesses have been flagging following restructuring.
"We expect to receive word of the allocations next week," says Juha Kouvo, director of the South-East Finland Employment Office.
Once the letter arrives, the office will be able to ascertain the amount of money to be allocated to wage subsidies and start-up grants.
"How much of this new money we're allowed to use depends on the earmarked money already available," Kouvo says. "Here in South-East Finland we've been able to use specifically allocated funds quite successfully."
That one region alone is currently home to dozens of businesses awaiting their start-up grant decisions. All such grants have been frozen there since the summer.