Population by Labour market status, January 2024
The labour market remained subdued in January 2024
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-03-27 8.00
People in employment aged 15 to 74 numbered 5 132 000 in January 2024. This is an increase of 11 000 people compared with January 2023. In the 20 to 64 age range, 274 000 people were unemployed. This equals a share of 5.5 percent expressed as a percentage of the labour force and is an increase of 0.4 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 January 2024 by 11 000 compared with the same period of 2023, amounting to 5 132 000. Fewer women than men were employed. A total of 2 497 000 women and 2 636 000 men were employed.
In the 20 to 64 age range the employment rate – the number of employed people in relation to the population – was 79.3 percent among women and 80.0 percent among men. Compared with January 2023, the employment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points among women, while the employment rate among men decreased by 0.4 percentage points.
The unemployed
The number of unemployed people aged 20 to 64 in January 2024 was 274 000, which is an increase of 17 000 compared to the same period the previous year. A total of 130 000 women and 144 000 men were unemployed.
The relative unemployment rate - the proportion of unemployed people in relation to the labour force - was 5.3 percent for women and 5.6 percent for men. This equals an increased unemployment rate among woman of 0.1 percentage point, and 0.5 percentage point among men compared with the same period of 2023.
Unemployment is higher among foreign born people than among those born in Sweden. The relative unemployment rate was, among foreign born people, 13.5 percent for women and 11.2 percent for men. For people born in Sweden the relative unemployment rates was 2.7 percent for women and 3.7 percent for men in January 2024.
| January 2024 | December 2023 | January 2023 | Change since January 2023 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed | 5 132 000 | 5 192 000 | 5 121 000 | 0.2 |
| Men | 2 636 000 | 2 669 000 | 2 640 000 | ‑0.2 |
| Women | 2 497 000 | 2 523 000 | 2 481 000 | 0.6 |
| Men born in Sweden | 2 028 000 | 2 055 000 | 2 038 000 | ‑0.5 |
| Women born in Sweden | 1 950 000 | 1 972 000 | 1 948 000 | 0.1 |
| Foreign born men | 608 000 | 613 000 | 603 000 | 0.9 |
| Foreign born women | 547 000 | 551 000 | 533 000 | 2.7 |
| January 2024 | December 2023 | January 2023 | Change since January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed | 4 749 000 | 4 768 000 | 4 745 000 | 0.1 |
| Men | 2 441 000 | 2 454 000 | 2 448 000 | ‑0.3 |
| Women | 2 308 000 | 2 314 000 | 2 298 000 | 0.4 |
| Employment rate (%) | 79.6 | 80.0 | 79.8 | ‑0.2 |
| Men | 80.0 | 80.4 | 80.4 | ‑0.4 |
| Women | 79.3 | 79.5 | 79.2 | 0.1 |
| Men born in Sweden | 83.5 | 84.0 | 83.9 | ‑0.4 |
| Women born in Sweden | 84.1 | 84.3 | 84.1 | 0.0 |
| Foreign born men | 70.4 | 70.9 | 70.9 | ‑0.5 |
| Foreign born women | 66.2 | 66.5 | 65.7 | 0.5 |
| Unemployment | 274 000 | 257 000 | 257 000 | 6.5 |
| Men | 144 000 | 134 000 | 132 000 | 8.8 |
| Women | 130 000 | 123 000 | 125 000 | 4.0 |
| Men born in Sweden | 71 000 | 65 000 | 62 000 | 13.6 |
| Women born in Sweden | 49 000 | 45 000 | 44 000 | 9.5 |
| Foreign born men | 73 000 | 69 000 | 70 000 | 4.5 |
| Foreign born women | 81 000 | 78 000 | 80 000 | 1.0 |
| Relative unemployment rate (%) | 5.5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 0.4 |
| Men | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 0.5 |
| Women | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 0.1 |
| Men born in Sweden | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 0.5 |
| Women born in Sweden | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 0.3 |
| Foreign born men | 11.2 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 0.4 |
| Foreign born women | 13.5 | 13.0 | 13.7 | ‑0.2 |
| January 2024 | December 2023 | January 2023 | Change since January 2023 (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 169 000 | 167 000 | 162 000 | 3.9 |
| Men | 74 000 | 72 000 | 71 000 | 4.0 |
| Women | 95 000 | 95 000 | 91 000 | 3.8 |
| Retirees | 40 000 | 39 000 | 52 000 | ‑24.0 |
| Men | 20 000 | 19 000 | 26 000 | ‑24.3 |
| Women | 20 000 | 19 000 | 26 000 | ‑23.8 |
| Sick | 219 000 | 219 000 | 220 000 | ‑0.2 |
| Men | 99 000 | 98 000 | 98 000 | 0.4 |
| Women | 121 000 | 120 000 | 122 000 | ‑0.7 |
| Others | 513 000 | 513 000 | 507 000 | 1.0 |
| Men | 274 000 | 273 000 | 268 000 | 2.3 |
| Women | 238 000 | 240 000 | 239 000 | ‑0.4 |
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.