Sweden’s unemployment rate fell to 8.6% in January 2026 from 10.4% in the same month a year earlier. The total number of unemployed people decreased by 102,000 compared to January 2025, reaching 490,000, comprising 225,000 women and 264,000 men, with unemployment rates of 8.3% for women and 8.9% for men. The number of unemployed young people aged 15–24 fell by 5,300 to 148,000, corresponding to a youth unemployment rate of 23.3%. Meanwhile, the number of employed people aged 15–74 increased by 85,000 to 5.194 million. The number of people in long-term unemployment (unemployed for at least 27 weeks) stood at 191,000, including 94,000 women and 98,000 men. The average total number of hours worked per week amounted to 128.6 million. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate was 8.7%, while youth unemployment stood at 23.9%. source: Statistics Sweden

Unemployment Rate in Sweden increased to 8.60 percent in January from 8.30 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Sweden averaged 6.33 percent from 1980 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 10.50 percent in June of 1997 and a record low of 1.30 percent in July of 1989. This page provides the latest reported value for - Sweden Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Sweden Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Sweden increased to 8.60 percent in January from 8.30 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Sweden is expected to be 8.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Sweden Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 7.80 percent in 2027 and 7.50 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-23 07:10 AM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 8.3% 8.2% 8.6%
2026-02-16 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 8.6% 8.3% 9.5%
2026-03-13 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 8.6% 8.4%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Weekly Hours 24.70 28.90 Hours Jan 2026
Employed Persons 5914.00 5252.00 Thousand Jan 2026
Employment Rate 68.00 68.70 percent Jan 2026
Job Vacancies 1327.00 1057.00 Hundred Jan 2026
Job Vacancy Rate 1.70 2.10 percent Sep 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 74.40 75.00 percent Jan 2026
Labour Costs 169.60 169.20 points Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 489.70 476.80 Thousand Jan 2026
Unemployment Rate 8.60 8.30 percent Jan 2026
Wages 210.00 207.80 SEK/Hour Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 224.80 221.90 SEK/Hour Dec 2025


Sweden Unemployment Rate
In Sweden, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
8.60 8.30 10.50 1.30 1980 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
Swedish Jobless Rate Falls to 8.6%
Sweden’s unemployment rate fell to 8.6% in January 2026 from 10.4% in the same month a year earlier. The total number of unemployed people decreased by 102,000 compared to January 2025, reaching 490,000, comprising 225,000 women and 264,000 men, with unemployment rates of 8.3% for women and 8.9% for men. The number of unemployed young people aged 15–24 fell by 5,300 to 148,000, corresponding to a youth unemployment rate of 23.3%. Meanwhile, the number of employed people aged 15–74 increased by 85,000 to 5.194 million. The number of people in long-term unemployment (unemployed for at least 27 weeks) stood at 191,000, including 94,000 women and 98,000 men. The average total number of hours worked per week amounted to 128.6 million. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate was 8.7%, while youth unemployment stood at 23.9%.
2026-02-16
Swedish Jobless Rate Rises to 8.3%
Sweden’s unemployment rate rose to 8.3% in December 2025 from 8% in the same month of the previous year. The total number of unemployed people increased by 23.1 thousand compared to a year earlier, reaching 476.8 thousand, comprising 212,000 women and 265,000 men, with unemployment rates of 7.7% for women and 8.9% for men. The number of unemployed young people aged 15-24, grew by 5.6 thousand to 141.2 thousand, corresponding to an unemployment rate of 21.5%. Meanwhile, employment went up by 61.6 thousand to 5.252 million, lifting the employment rate by 0.6 percentage points to 68.1% and the labor force participation rate by 0.9 percentage points to 75%. The average total number of hours worked per week amounted to 151.3 million. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate stood at 9%.
2026-01-23
Swedish Jobless Rate Rises to 8.2%
Sweden’s unemployment rate climbed to 8.2% in November 2025 from 7.4% in the same month of the previous year. The total number of unemployed people increased by 52.4 thousand compared to a year earlier, reaching 470.4 thousand, comprising 217,000 women and 253,000 men, with unemployment rates of 8.0% for women and 8.4% for men. The number of unemployed young people aged 15–24, went up by 27.8 thousand to 155.2 thousand, corresponding to an unemployment rate of 23.8%. Meanwhile, employment rose by 73.2 thousand to 5.275 million, lifting the employment rate by 0.7 percentage points to 69% and the labor force participation rate by 1.4 percentage points to 75.2%. The average total number of hours worked per week amounted to 171.4 million. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate stood at 9%.
2025-12-12