Unemployment

Last updated: 2026-03-19

In recent years, unemployment has remained elevated both in Sweden and across the EU:EU. Despite a long-term decline since the financial crisis, it continues to be persistently high among certain groups in the population.

International unemployment measurement

To enable international comparisons, the International Labour Organization (ILO:ILO), has developed a standardized method for measuring unemployment.

An unemployed person is defined as someone who:

• is not currently employed,

• is available to start work within 14 days,

• has actively sought employment during the past four weeks, or

• is scheduled to start a job within the next three months.

The labour force consists of all individuals aged 15 to 74 who are either employed or unemployed. Students are excluded if they are not available for work or not actively seeking employment.

In international comparisons, Sweden’s unemployment rate in 2024 was above the EU:EU average (by 2.5 percentage points). The rate varies significantly across different segments of the labour force, with notably higher unemployment among individuals with lower levels of education.