Layoffs limit Archinfo’s operations for the remainder of the year
Väinö Kannisto / Helsinki City Museum
Due to cuts to Finnish state grants for arts and culture organisations, the entire permanent staff of Archinfo will be temporarily laid off. Operations will continue in a reduced capacity during the layoff period.
State subsidies for Finnish cultural sector operators have been severely cut for two consecutive years. This year, nationwide arts and culture organisations faced over two million euros in savings measures. In total, appropriations for culture and the arts were reduced by 17.4 million euros.
Archinfo’s funding was cut by a total of €85,000 in 2024 and 2025. As an arts information centre supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Archinfo’s state subsidy is now significantly smaller than at any point in the organisation’s 13-year history, although its operations have extensively expanded over the years.
As a result of the cuts, the entire four-person permanent staff of Archinfo will be laid off. The duration of the layoffs will be a minimum of two and a maximum of three months. Layoffs will begin in June and continue through the end of the year. In practice, this means that for the rest of the year, half of Archinfo’s staff will be absent at any given time.
“After receiving the operating grant decision in mid-March, we have explored other means of adjusting the budget, but none have provided sufficient savings without reducing personnel costs. The layoffs are an extremely regrettable but necessary measure in these circumstances,” says Board Chair Janne Pihlajaniemi.
Despite the layoffs, Archinfo strives for carrying out previously agreed-upon projects and responsibilities, although delays and the discontinuation of some activities are inevitable. Developing operations and pursuing new partnerships will also be challenging with reduced staffing.
There is concern that appropriations for the arts and culture sector will remain at their current level in the future. Archinfo will reassess its direction and operational capacity in the autumn.
The photo depicts mourners in the procession of poet Katri Vala (1901–1944) on Hämeentie Street in Helsinki. The building in the background is Osuustukkukauppa Headquarters, designed by architect Väinö Vähäkallio and completed in 1933. Archinfo has been based in the building since 2023. The neighbouring park was renamed after Katri Vala in 1956.
