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Unemployment Benefits in Lithuania
Insured people who lose their job can get unemployment insurance benefit for 9 months after registering with the Employment Service. Low-income households can get cash social assistance from their municipality.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
Sodra / Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba)
The job market in Lithuania
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Lithuania 122nd lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Lithuania's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba). Official page
- Apply for Unemployment insurance benefit (nedarbo draudimo išmoka): register with the Employment Service; apply to the Employment Service or Sodra. Paid from the eighth day of unemployment status (3 months' wait if dismissed through your own fault). Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- See whether you can get Cash social assistance: social benefit (socialinė pašalpa). Official page
Unemployment insurance benefit (nedarbo draudimo išmoka)
Who can get it. Insured for at least 12 months in the last 30 months before registering with the Employment Service, unemployed, of working age and actively seeking work.
How much. a fixed part of 23.27% of the minimum monthly wage (EUR 268.30) plus a variable part of 38.79% of average monthly insured income for the first 3 months, 31.03% for the next 3 months and 23.27% for the following 3 months; at most 58.18% of the average national wage
For how long. 9 months (2 more months if less than 5 years remain until retirement age)
How to claim. Register with the Employment Service; apply to the Employment Service or Sodra. Paid from the eighth day of unemployment status (3 months' wait if dismissed through your own fault).
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
Claimants must be actively seeking work, ready to accept jobs offered and take part in labour market measures; breaking the procedure for reporting on individual job search can stop the benefit.
Reporting. report on individual job search to the Employment Service (frequency not stated)
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Lithuania
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
- The public employment service: Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba)
Cash social assistance: social benefit (socialinė pašalpa)
Means-tested benefit for those whose income is below the national threshold, from the municipality; awarded for three months and renewable.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Health cover between jobs
People registered as unemployed are covered by compulsory health insurance with contributions paid by the state.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Lithuania?
Yes: Unemployment insurance benefit (nedarbo draudimo išmoka), paid by Sodra / Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba).
How much is unemployment benefit in Lithuania?
a fixed part of 23.27% of the minimum monthly wage (EUR 268.30) plus a variable part of 38.79% of average monthly insured income for the first 3 months, 31.03% for the next 3 months and 23.27% for the following 3 months; at most 58.18% of the average national wage
How long does unemployment benefit last in Lithuania?
9 months (2 more months if less than 5 years remain until retirement age)
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Lithuania?
Register with the Employment Service; apply to the Employment Service or Sodra. Paid from the eighth day of unemployment status (3 months' wait if dismissed through your own fault).
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Lithuania?
Claimants must be actively seeking work, ready to accept jobs offered and take part in labour market measures; breaking the procedure for reporting on individual job search can stop the benefit.
Where can I get help finding a job in Lithuania?
The public employment service is Employment Service (Užimtumo tarnyba).
Nearby countries
Denmark
Estonia
Faroe Islands
Finland
Guernsey
Iceland
Ireland
Isle of Man
Jersey
Latvia
Norway
Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Sweden
United Kingdom
Åland Islands
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Lithuania's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.