Unemployment in Sweden continues to decline compared to last year, although there is a slight increase among those who have been out of work for a long time. This is shown by new figures from the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) for February 2026.
At the end of February, just over 360,000 people were registered as unemployed with Arbetsförmedlingen. This corresponds to 6.8 percent of the workforce and is a decrease of about 18,000 people compared to the same month last year, when unemployment was at 7.2 percent. In terms of trend, it is at the lowest level since the end of 2023.
Arbetsförmedlingen describes the development as a continued recovery in the labor market, even though the situation is still characterized by uncertainty.
– The :censored:6:cdd6bbaa89: situation is once again unstable with uncertain consequences. However, we can note that the labor market recovery has continued even if unemployment is still high. How the labor market will react to any consequences will be important to monitor going forward, says Eva Samakovlis, Director of Analysis at Arbetsförmedlingen.
According to the agency’s statistics, the decrease in February was mainly among those who had been unemployed for a shorter period – up to six months. Meanwhile, the number of people who had been out of work for at least two years increased slightly.
In total, 153,167 of those registered as unemployed had been without a job for at least twelve months, which is slightly more than the same time last year.
– The prolonged recession makes it more difficult for the long-term unemployed to return to work. We are working intensively with employers who are willing to think outside the box in their recruitment to ensure that more people have the opportunity for permanent employment, says Eva Samakovlis.
Of the unemployed in February, 198,549 people were openly unemployed, while 161,786 participated in various labor market programs with activity support. During the month, 29,993 people registered as job seekers, while 27,667 people found work.
Among young people between 18 and 24 years old, 7.4 percent were registered as unemployed, corresponding to 39,626 people. This is a decrease compared to February the previous year, when the share was 8.1 percent.
At the same time, 4,217 people received layoff notices during the month, which is fewer than the 4,912 who were notified in February 2025.