In 2025, the number of unemployed increased by 30,000 people to 510,000. This corresponds to an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent, an increase of 0.4 percentage points compared to 2024. Unemployment has thus increased for three years in a row.
Statistics from Statistics Sweden’s labor force surveys (AKU) show this.
The number of people in the labor force aged 15–74 increased by 52,000 to 5,773,000 compared to 2024. At the same time, the number of employed persons amounted to 5,263,000 and the employment rate was 69.0 percent.
“The labor market in 2025 showed a divided picture. We see that unemployment increased to 8.8 percent, but at the same time employment remained at 69.0 percent. Compared to the last 25 years, it is a high level for both unemployment and employment,” says Ludvig Renberg, statistician at the Labor Force Surveys at Statistics Sweden.
