Population by Labour market status, December 2023
Unemployment continues to increase in December 2023
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-02-29 8.00
People in employment aged 15 to 74 numbered 5 192 000 in December 2023. This is an increase of 11 000 people compared with December 2022. In the 20 to 64 age range, 257 000 people were unemployed. This equals a share of 5.1 percent expressed as a percentage of the labour force and is an increase of 0.2 percentage point compared with the same period of the previous year.
People in employment
The number of people in employment aged 15 to 74 increased in December 2023 by 11 000 compared with the same period of 2022, amounting to 5 192 000. Fewer women than men were employed. A total of 2 523 000 women and 2 669 000 men were employed.
In the 20 to 64 age range the employment rate – the number of employed people in relation to the population – was 79.5 percent among women and 80.4 percent among men. Compared with December 2022, the employment rate is increased by 0.1 percentage points among women, while the employment rate among men decreased by 0.5 percentage points.
The unemployed
The number of unemployed people aged 20 to 64 in December 2023 was 257 000, which is an increase of 11 000 compared to the same period the previous year. A total of 123 000 women and 134 000 men were unemployed.
The relative unemployment rate - the proportion of unemployed people in relation to the labour force - was 5.1 percent for women and 5.2 percent for men. This equals an increased unemployment rate among woman of 0.1 percentage point, and 0.4 percentage point among men compared with the same period of 2022.
Unemployment is higher among foreign born people than among those born in Sweden. The relative unemployment rate was, among foreign born people, 13.0 percent for women and 10.6 percent for men. For people born in Sweden the relative unemployment rates was 2.5 percent for women and 3.3 percent for men in December 2023.
Compared to the same period in 2022, the relative unemployment rate has decreased among foreign born women by 0.4 percentage points, while it has increased by 0.2 percentage points for foreign born men. Unemployment has increased among people born in Sweden, with 0.2 percentage points for women and 0.3 percentage points for men.
People outside the labour force
The number of people outside the labour force aged 20 to 64 was 937 000 in December 2023. This equals a share of 15.7 percent expressed as a proportion of the population in the same age group. Compared to the same period of 2022, the number of people outside the labour force increased by 4 000, while the proportion is unchanged. There were 11 000 more women than men outside the labour force in December 2023.
Definitions and explanations
BAS, Population by Labour market status, presents statistics based on administrative data concerning aspects such as number of people in employment, unemployed people, and people outside the labour force for the registered population aged 15 to 74. The statistics can be used to describe current status, but also the progression over time. It illuminates both the entire population and smaller groups, such as detailed age groups at the municipal level.
The statistics contain estimates of the number of people broken down by labour market status: Employed, unemployed, student, retiree, sick and others. The definition of labour market status is hierarchical, which means that a person can only be assigned one labour market status, and it is determined according to the order of precedence above.
The labour force consists of employed people and the unemployed.
The labour market status categories that are outside the labour force are student, pensioner, sick and others. There are fewer people outside the labour force in the summer than during other parts of the year. This is mainly because some people who are students during term time work during the summer and are then classified as employed.
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.