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%. source: Statistics Sweden

Unemployment Rate in Sweden increased to 8.30 percent in December from 8.20 percent in November of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Sweden averaged 6.32 percent from 1980 until 2025, 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 February of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Sweden increased to 8.30 percent in December from 8.20 percent in November 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 8.00 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2025-12-12 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Nov 8.2% 8.9% 9.1%
2026-01-23 07:10 AM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 8.3% 8.2% 8.6%
2026-02-16 07:00 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 8.3%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Weekly Hours 28.90 32.50 Hours Dec 2025
Employed Persons 5252.00 5275.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Employment Rate 68.10 69.00 percent Dec 2025
Job Vacancies 1057.00 766.00 Hundred Dec 2025
Job Vacancy Rate 1.70 2.10 percent Sep 2025
Labor Force Participation Rate 75.00 75.20 percent Dec 2025
Labour Costs 169.20 168.40 points Nov 2025
Unemployed Persons 476.80 470.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 8.30 8.20 percent Dec 2025
Wages 207.70 207.20 SEK/Hour Nov 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 222.00 222.50 SEK/Hour Nov 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
8.30 8.20 10.50 1.30 1980 - 2025 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
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
Swedish Jobless Rate Rises to 8.9%
Sweden’s unemployment rate climbed to 8.9% in October 2025 from 7.8% in the same month of the previous year. This marked the highest level since June, as the number of unemployed people increased by 71.4 thousand compared to a year earlier, totaling to 509.1 thousand, while employment rose by 21.8 thousand to 5.214 million. The employment rate remained unchanged at 68.2%, while the labor force participation rate went up by 1 percentage point to 74.9%. The average total number of hours worked per week amounted to 178.1 million. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the unemployment rate was 9%.
2025-11-14