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Population by Labour market status, September 2024

Unemployment continued to increase in September 2024

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-11-29 8.00

People in employment aged 15 to 74 numbered 5 285 000 in September 2024. This is a decrease of 17 000 people compared with September 2023. In the 20 to 65 age range, 277 000 people were unemployed. This equals a share of 5.4 percent expressed as a percentage of the labour force and is an increase of 0.6 percentage point compared with the same period of the previous year.

People in employment

The number of people in employment aged 15 to 74 decreased in September 2024 by 0.3 percent compared to the same period the previous year, but the trend varies depending on sex and region of birth.

Percentage change in the number of employed compared to the same period the previous year, 15 to 74 years
Namnlös

The unemployed

The number of unemployed people aged 20 to 65 in September 2024 was 277 000, which is an increase of 30 000 compared to the same period the previous year.

The relative unemployment rate - the proportion of unemployed people in relation to the labour force - was 5.3 percent for women and 5.4 percent for men. This equals an increased unemployment rate among woman of 0.5 percentage point, and 0.7 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, 13.4 percent for women and 10.9 percent for men. For people born in Sweden the relative unemployment rates was 2.7 percent for women and 3.6 percent for men in September 2024. 

Proportion of unemployed people by month as a percentage, 20 to 65 years
Namnlös

Employed, 15 to 74 years
  September 2024 August 2024 September 2023 Change since September 2023 (%)
Employed 5 285 000 5 317 000 5 303 000 ‑0.3
Women 2 579 000 2 589 000 2 578 000 0.1
born in Sweden 2 011 000 2 024 000 2 019 000 ‑0.4
foreign born 568 000 564 000 559 000 1.6
Men 2 706 000 2 729 000 2 725 000 ‑0.7
born in Sweden 2 084 000 2 105 000 2 101 000 ‑0.8
foreign born 622 000 624 000 624 000 ‑0.3

People in the labour force, 20 to 65 years
  September 2024 August 2024 September 2023 Change since September 2023
Employed 4 885 000 4 880 000 4 898 000 ‑0.3
Women 2 380 000 2 376 000 2 378 000 0.1
Men 2 504 000 2 504 000 2 520 000 ‑0.6
Employment rate (%) 80.3 80.3 80.7 ‑0.4
Women 80.0 79.9 80.2 ‑0.2
born in Sweden 84.8 84.9 85.1 ‑0.2
foreign born 66.9 66.6 66.9 0.0
Men 80.6 80.7 81.1 ‑0.5
born in Sweden 84.1 84.1 84.6 ‑0.5
foreign born 71.1 71.2 71.5 ‑0.5
Unemployment 277 000 280 000 247 000 12.4
Women 134 000 136 000 121 000 10.5
born in Sweden 51 000 52 000 43 000 17.9
foreign born 83 000 84 000 78 000 6.5
Men 143 000 144 000 126 000 14.1
born in Sweden 71 000 72 000 59 000 19.7
foreign born 72 000 72 000 66 000 9.1
Relative unemployment rate (%) 5.4 5.4 4.8 0.6
Women 5.3 5.4 4.8 0.5
born in Sweden 2.7 2.7 2.3 0.4
foreign born 13.4 13.6 12.8 0.5
Men 5.4 5.4 4.7 0.7
born in Sweden 3.6 3.6 3.0 0.6
foreign born 10.9 10.9 10.0 0.8

People not in the labour force, 20 to 65 years
  September 2024 August 2024 September 2023 Change since September 2023 (%)
Students 112 000 37 000 109 000 2.7
Women 63 000 21 000 63 000 1.0
Men 49 000 16 000 47 000 5.1
Retirees 77 000 80 000 91 000 ‑15.3
Women 39 000 41 000 46 000 ‑16.7
Men 39 000 40 000 45 000 ‑13.9
Sick 229 000 229 000 226 000 1.3
Women 126 000 127 000 125 000 1.0
Men 102 000 103 000 101 000 1.6
Others 505 000 569 000 502 000 0.7
Women 235 000 272 000 233 000 0.9
Men 270 000 297 000 269 000 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, retiree, 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.

Statistical agency

Statistics Sweden

Telephone
+46 10 479 50 00
E-mail
bas@scb.se

Enquiries

Lukas Gamerov

Telephone
+46 10 479 64 88
E-mail
lukas.gamerov@scb.se