Unemployment Insurance in EU->Sweden

Unemployment insurance in Sweden

Type of scheme

How to join? Sweden has both compulsory and voluntary unemployment insurance. You will automatically be enrolled in the basic unemployment insurance when you start working in Sweden. The voluntary insurance requires membership of an Unemployment Insurance Fund ("A-kassa").

Contribution: Only employers pays contribution to the compulsory basic insurance. The voluntary Insurance Scheme is financed in part by membership fees paid by members of the Unemployment Insurance Funds ("A-kassor").

Who is covered? All employees and self-employed.

Benefit amount: Amount from the basic insurance depends on how much you have worked in the past. Amount from the voluntary insurance depends on previous income. Duration is longer if you have dependent children.

Requirements for entitlement

In order to be entitled to unemployment benefit, whether under basic insurance or voluntary insurance, you must meet the following conditions:

• During the last 12 months you must have worked at least 60 hours per month for at least 6 months, OR at least 420 hours during a consecutive period of 6 months (with at least 40 hours each month).
  You can fulfill the work condition by working as an employee or by working in your own business.
  In both cases, up to a maximum of 2 months of parental leave or military service can be counted towards fulfilling the work requirement.
  
  The 12 month period can be extended with up to 5 years (to six years in total), in case of:
  - sickness,
  - care of one's own child and time with parental allowance,
  - compulsory military service,
  - full-time studies for those over 25 years of age
• You must be registered with the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen).
• You are free to work in Sweden (if you are a non-EU citizen you need a general work permit which is not limited to a certain job).
• You must actively look for job and be able to accept job offers with one day notice.

For the voluntary Insurance, you must also have been a member of a Unemployment Insurance fund ("A-kassa") for the last 12 months.

Its only possible to apply for the basic unemployment benefit if you are not member of an A-kassa or have been member for less than 12 months.

Are there special rules for new graduates?

No, but if you have studied full-time, the period in which work is counted (12 months) can be extended by the number of months in which you have studied, provided that:

• you have completed your studies after you have become 25 years old, or
• you were younger than 25 when you finished your studies, but had worked full-time for at least 5 months before starting your studies.

In this way, there are good chances that new graduates who have worked in the year before starting their studies or have had holiday jobs etc. may be entitled to unemployment benefits.
However, a recent graduate must still meet the requirement of 1 year's membership of A-kassa. It is therefore a good idea to join a Swedish A-kassa no later than 1 year before you graduate.

Determination of benefit

Basic unemployment benefit

The basic benefit is calculated based on the the average working hours you had. The amount can be a maximum of SEK 510 per day. To be able to get 510 kronor, full-time work is required without absence for 12 months. Have you not worked full-time, or worked for less than 12 months, the amount will be lower than 510 SEK, but a minimum of SEK 255 per day. This means a maximum benefit of approximately SEK 11,200 before tax per month.

The basic benefit rate is the same throughout the period in which you can receive benefit (see below).

Earnings-related unemployment benefit

In the first 200 days you can get 80% of your average work income in the last 12 months.
However, the highest compensation is SEK 1,200 per day 5 days a week during the first 100 days - or SEK 26,400 kronor before tax per month.
From day 101, the maximum compensation is SEK 1,000 per day.

The amount is reduced to 70% of previous income after 200 days (From the 10th compensated month onwards).

If you have worked full-time without absence, the minimum compensation is SEK 510 per day.

Tax treatment

Benefit is taxable.

Benefit duration

The unemployment benefit period for both types of insurance is 5 days a week for a total of 300 days, which corresponds to 14 months. The A-kassa will look at your family situation after the first 300 days, and if at that time you have at least 1 dependent child (up to 18 years old) your benefit period will be extended with 150 days to a total period of 21 months.

Aggregation of insurance periods from other EU/EEA countries

Periods of insurance and work from another EEA country which are confirmed in a PD U1 document or exchanged electronically by the authorities via EESSI in SED U002 can be used to meet the qualifying period, if you have worked in a job covered by compulsory insurance after arriving in Sweden.

In case of using PD U1 / SED U002 the Unemployment benefit is calculated on the basis of income you have had while working in Sweden.

How to apply for unemployment benefit

• You must register as a jobseeker.
• Basic benefit: If you are not a member of any unemployment insurance fund ("A-kassa"), you can apply for basic unemployment benefits from the Alfa unemployment insurance fund ("Alfa-kassan").
• Earnings-related benefit: Contact your A-kassa and apply for benefit or visit the A-kassa's website to fill in the required information.

If you do not meet the requirements

Individuals who do not meet the above mentioned requirements for unemployment benefits, may have the option to apply for Social Assistance (Ekonomiskt bistånd).

Swedish words

Basic unemployment insurance = grundförsäkring

Voluntary earnings-related insurance = inkomstbortfallsförsäkring

Unemployment insurance fund = arbetslöshetskassa (A-kassa).

Unemployment benefit = ersättning.

This page was last updated on November 28, 2023.