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Labour Force Surveys (LFS)

Upcoming publishing: 2020-10-15

The statistics describe labour market developments for the Swedish population aged 15–74. The LFS shows the number and percentage of employed and unemployed persons respectively, per month, quarter and year. It is the only source of continuous data on total unemployment and represents the official unemployment rate.

As from the LFS publication for February, in monthly Basic tables and corresponding tables in the Statistical Database, data will not be shown where estimations, due to a low number of observations, are not considered to be of sufficient quality with regard to uncertainty. Remaining LFS tables will be updated throughout the year according to this principle. For further information on “data not shown”, see the Basic tables cover page.

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Key figures for Sweden

Labour force rate

74.4 %

Reference period: August 2020

0.6 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Unemployment rate

8.8 %

Reference period: August 2020

1.9 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Employment rate

67.9 %

Reference period: August 2020

-0.9 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Labour force rate (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

73.3 %

Reference period: August 2020

Unemployment rate  (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

9.3 %

Reference period: August 2020

Employment rate  (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

66.5 %

Reference period: August 2020

Statistical news

Labour Force Surveys (LFS), August 2020

2020-09-15

In August 2020, there were 5 116 000 employed persons. The number of unemployed persons increased by 114 000 to 494 000. This corresponds to an unemployment rate of 8.8 percent, up by 1.9 percentage points. Among young people, the unemployment rate increased by 6.3 percentage points to 22.5 percent. Average hours worked amounted to 119.8 million hours per week, a decrease of 3.1 percent, calendar adjusted. According to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data, employment decreased, while unemployment increased compared with February 2020. However, employment and unemployment have stabilised, as no further detrimental changes have been noted since June. The unemployment rate was 9.3 percent.

All statistical news for this statistic

Tables in the Statistical Database

Publications

Title Language Type Date
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – Theme: Overtime and Additional Time 2005-2019 English SM 2020-06-09
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – Theme: Development for temporary employees 2005-2019 English SM 2020-03-31
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2019 English SM 2020-02-20
Labour force surveys (LFS) – Theme: Organisation of working time 2008-2018 English SM 2019-10-01
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – Theme: The labour market in 2018 for persons living with children under the age of 12 English SM 2019-06-11
Labour force surveys – Theme: The labour market situation for refugees and refugee family members 2010–2018 English SM 2019-03-05
Labour force surveys (LFS) 2018 English SM 2019-02-21
Labour force surveys (LFS), fourth quarter 2018 English SM 2019-02-12
Unemployment duration in the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and time out of work at the Swedish Public Employment Service 2016 – A comparative study English Report 2018-11-13
Labour force surveys (LFS) 3rd quarter 2018 English SM 2018-11-06
Labour force surveys (LFS) – Theme: Young people on the labour market 2016 English SM 2018-10-02
Labour force surveys (LFS) 2nd quarter 2018 English SM 2018-08-28
Employed and hours worked in Labour Force Surveys and National Accounts. Background Facts – Labour and Education Statistics 2016:1 English Rapport 2018-07-18
Employed and hours worked in Labour Force Surveys and National Accounts. Background Facts – Labour and Education Statistics 2016:1 English Report 2018-07-11
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – Theme: People aged 20–64 years who are involuntary out of work, 2005–2017 English SM 2018-05-31
Labour force surveys (LFS) 1st quarter 2018 English SM 2018-05-17
Analysis on nonresponse bias for the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) English Report 2018-04-23
Over- and undercoverage in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) – a register-based study English Report 2018-04-23
Labour force surveys (LFS) 2017 English SM 2018-02-22
Labour force surveys (LFS), 4th quarter 2017 English SM 2018-02-13
Labour force surveys – Theme: Unemployed persons that have already found a job which will start within 3 months English SM 2018-01-30
Labour force surveys – Theme: The labour market for persons with a lower level of education 2005–2016 English SM 2017-11-21
Labour force surveys: 3rd quarter 2017 English SM 2017-10-30
Labour force surveys – Theme: Hours worked English SM 2017-09-11
Labour force surveys: 2nd quarter 2017 English SM 2017-08-24
Over- and undercoverage in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – a register-based analysis English Report 2017-05-31
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – Theme: The labour market for young people in the summer months English SM 2017-05-26
Analysis on nonresponse bias for the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) English Report 2017-05-24
Labour force surveys: 1st quarter 2017 English SM 2017-05-15
Labour force surveys - Theme: Persons available to work but not seeking 2005-2016 English SM 2017-02-24
Labour force surveys 2016 English SM 2017-02-23
Labour force surveys (LFS), 4th quarter 2016 English SM 2017-02-13
Labour force surveys – Theme: Employed persons by economic activity between 2006 and 2015 English SM 2016-11-22
Labour force surveys – Theme: The labour market situation among full-time students in 2005–2015 English SM 2016-09-20
Unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and the Swedish Public Employment Service – A comparative study English SM 2016-06-30
Employed and hours worked in Labour Force Surveys and National accounts English Rapport 2016-06-22
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) - Theme: The labour market for men and women during the years 2001–2016 English SM 2016-05-26
Labour force surveys – Theme: Labour situation of migrants and their immediate descendants 2014 English SM 2016-03-01
Labour force surveys – Theme: Development of underemployment 2005–2014 English SM 2015-11-17
Labour force surveys – Theme: Patterns of absenteeism – different during major sporting events? English SM 2015-09-22
Background facts: Patterns of non-response in the Swedish LFS English Rapport 2015-09-03
Background facts: Measurement errors study in the Swedish labour force surveys English Rapport 2015-08-24
Background facts: Estimating household-related parameters in the Swedish LFS – theory and practice English Rapport 2015-08-12
Labour force surveys – Theme: Regional labour market and migration across county lines English SM 2015-05-26
Background facts: Flow statistics – an early indicator of turning points on the labour market? English Rapport 2015-04-30
Labour force surveys – Theme: Trends for persons in temporary employment English SM 2015-02-24
Labour force surveys – Theme: Transition from work to retirement 2012 English SM 2014-11-18
Labour force surveys – Theme: Development of the Swedish labour market since the financial crisis English SM 2014-09-02
Labour force surveys – Theme: The labour market among foreign born 2005–2013 English SM 2014-06-11
Labour force survey: 4th quarter 2013 – Theme: Labour underutilization, 2001–2013 English SM 2014-02-25
Background facts: Method for estimation when combining samples with different designs in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys English Rapport 2014-02-13
Labour force survey: 3rd quarter 2013 – Theme: Risks for long-term unemployment English SM 2013-11-25
Labour force survey: 2nd quarter 2013 – Theme: Development of employment and labour force participation in Europe English SM 2013-09-17
Background facts: Unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and the Swedish Public Employment Service – A comparative study English Rapport 2013-09-12
Background facts: Part-time employed job seekers English Rapport 2013-08-27
Background facts: Linking of central series in Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 1970–1986 English Rapport 2013-08-27
Background facts: Part-time employed job seekers English Rapport 2013-08-27
Labour force survey: 1st quarter 2013 – Theme: Youth unemployment English SM 2013-06-05
Background facts: Revising Surveys – Linking Old and New Data English Rapport 2013-05-23
Background facts: Youth unemployment – comparability in statistics between a number of European countries English Rapport 2013-05-23
Background facts: Consistent Seasonal Adjustment English Rapport 2013-05-23
Bakgrundsfakta: Ungdomsarbetslöshet – jämförbarhet i statistiken mellan ett antal europeiska länder English Rapport 2013-04-02
Labour force survey: 4th quarter 2012 – Theme: Time worked 2012 – How much are we working and when? English SM 2013-02-26
Background facts: Linking a system of time series, Recalculation of Labour Force Surveys 1987–1992 English Rapport 2012-12-18
Background facts: Actual Hours Worked in the Swedish LFS – Four articles English Rapport 2012-12-10
Labour force survey: 3rd quarter 2012 – Theme: The development for persons not at work during 2005–2012 English SM 2012-11-20
Arbetskraftsundersökningen 2:a kvartalet 2012 – Tema: Hur mycket jobbar vi i Sverige? English SM 2012-09-18
Labour force survey: 1st quarter 2012 – Theme: Persons outside the labour force aged 15–74 English SM 2012-05-29
Labour force survey: 4th quarter 2011 – Theme: Employment and hours worked over the business cycle English SM 2012-02-23
Background facts: The Sampling and Estimation Procedure in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys 2005– English Rapport 2011-11-25
Labour force survey: 3rd quarter 2011 – Theme: Long-term unemployment among persons aged 15–74 English SM 2011-11-15
Background facts: The Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 50 years – A presentation of four different perspektives from independent researchers English Rapport 2011-09-30
Background facts: Recruitment Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Surveys English Rapport 2011-09-26
Labour force survey: 2nd quarter 2011 – Theme: The labour market for persons aged 20–64 years English SM 2011-08-30
Background facts: Basic principles for Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and labour market statistics English Rapport 2011-06-22
Labour force survey: 1st quarter 2011 – Theme: Externally recruited persons 2005–2011 English SM 2011-05-24
Labour force survey: 4th quarter 2010 with Theme: The labour market from a regional perspective English SM 2011-02-21
Background facts: Recruitment Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) English Rapport 2010-12-09
Background facts: Basic principles for Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and labour market statistics English Rapport 2010-05-25
Labour force survey 1st quarter 2010 – Theme: The impact of two crises on the labour market English SM 2010-05-25
Labour force survey: 4th quarter 2009 – incl. Theme: Underemployment English SM 2010-02-23
Labour force survey 3rd quarter 2009 – Theme: Labour market situation for foreign-born persons in 2008 English SM 2009-11-25
Labour force survey: 2nd quarter 2009 – incl. Theme: Comparing unemployment among young people in Europe English SM 2009-08-20
Labour force survey: 1st quarter 2009 – incl. Theme: Youth unemployment English SM 2009-05-07
Bakgrundsfakta: Flow Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Survey English Rapport 2005-12-05
Background facts: Flow Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Survey English Rapport 2005-11-16
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