At the end of May, just over 339,000 people were registered as unemployed at the country's employment agencies. This corresponds to 6.4 percent of the workforce.
That is 20,000 fewer than May last year and also the lowest percentage level since the fall of 2023.
"Seasonally adjusted data, however, show, as in previous months in 2026, that the recovery in the labor market remains subdued, with only small changes from month to month," writes the Swedish Public Employment Service.
Layoff notices affected around 3,500 people in May, a steady decline so far this year.
In parallel, Statistics Sweden also measures unemployment. In that measurement, which is broader, unemployment in April was 8.7 percent.
The Swedish Public Employment Service and Statistics Sweden report unemployment in Sweden every month. However, the statistics differ, often quite significantly, because the agencies measure it in different ways.
Unemployment according to the Swedish Public Employment Service (May), 6.4 percent.
Unemployment according to Statistics Sweden (April), 8.7 percent.
The employment service counts people actually registered with the agencies and also has a narrower age range. Total unemployment is measured in the age group 16–66 years. Youth unemployment refers to young people between 18 and 24 years of age.
Statistics Sweden (SCB) uses a sample survey. The age range is 15–74 years for total unemployment and 15–24 years for youth unemployment.
In Statistics Sweden's measurement method (which is based on international criteria), a large proportion of full-time students are also counted as young unemployed. It is often enough for a full-time student to want an extra job, or to be waiting for a summer job, to be counted as unemployed.
Source: Swedish Employment Service, Statistics Sweden, TT
