The unemployment rate stood at 10.4%, an increase of 1.9 percentage points.
Employment and Labor Force
Despite the increase in unemployment, more people were part of the labor force. In January 2025, the labor force totaled 5.7 million people, an increase of 87,000 compared to the same month the previous year. The employment rate, which shows the proportion of employed people in the population, was 68.7% according to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data.
The number of people in employment was over 5.1 million, but despite this, unemployment increased. SCB notes that the change may be partially exaggerated, as unemployment was unusually low in January 2024.
More women in the labor force
According to the statistics, the number of women in the labor force has increased, while the number of women outside the labor market has decreased.
Unemployment increased in January. At the same time, we see a decrease in the number of women outside the labor force,
says Charlotta Olofsson, statistician at SCB.
Caution when interpreting the figures
SCB emphasizes that labor force surveys (AKU) are based on sample studies and that some uncertainty always exists in the results. Therefore, it is important to follow the development over a longer period to see if the changes are sustainable.
The report shows that the labor market in Sweden continues to change, and the increased unemployment in January 2025 may affect both individuals and society as a whole
