This theme report of the Labour Force Surveys on the fourth quarter 2017 gives a description of unemployed persons waiting to start their job. The criteria for this group of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment is that the person is not in employment, is waiting to start their job within three months, and can start at a job within 14 days. Those who are waiting to start their job do not need to meet the criterium of having sought work over the four most recent weeks to be defined as an unemployed person. This group of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment is characterised by the fact that they are entering the labour market.

Many unemployed persons are waiting to start their job

In 2016, on average 366 000 people were unemployed, 75 000 of which were waiting to start their job within three months. This corresponds to 20.5 percent of unemployed persons in total.

A comparison between the sexes shows that the share of unemployed persons waiting to start their job within three months was slightly higher among women than among men. The number of unemployed men waiting to start their job was 37 000, while the corresponding number among women was 38 000. In conjunction with the fact that there are more unemployed men than women, this means the share of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment was 23.3 percent among women and 18.3 percent among men.

Primarily young people and students are among unemployed persons waiting to start their job

Among young people between 15 and 24 years in 2016, 39 000 unemployed persons were waiting to start their job. This means young people accounted for more than half of those in this position in total. Among those aged 25 to 34, there were 15 000 persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment. There were fewer people in this position among the older age groups.

Among unemployed young people, 32.4 percent, or one in three young people were currently unemployed with forthcoming employment. The proportion of people currently unemployed with forthcoming employment then drops with rising age up to and including the 45-54 age group, where the proportion was 10.1 percent. However, the proportion was higher among the oldest age group (55 to 74 years), where it amounted to 15.3 percent.

A large proportion of unemployed persons waiting to start their job were full-time students or students on summer leave. Among those waiting to start their job, 45.2 percent were full-time students or students on summer leave. The proportion was highest in the youngest age group and amounted to 67.2 percent among those waiting to start their job aged 15 to 24 years.

Higher share of people currently unemployed with forthcoming employment among Swedish born unemployed people

The breakdown between Swedish born persons and foreign born persons shows that a considerably higher percentage of Swedish born unemployed persons have found work that they are waiting to begin. Among Swedish born unemployed persons, 28.6 percent were waiting to start their job within three months, while among foreign born persons the corresponding proportion was 10.7 percent. In 2016, there were 202 000 Swedish born unemployed persons and 164 000 foreign born unemployed persons in total. When those waiting to start their job are excluded, the number of unemployed persons was slightly higher among foreign born persons. In 2016, among unemployed persons excluding persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment, there were 144 000 unemployed Swedish born persons and 147 000 unemployed foreign born persons.

Highest unemployment rate when many people are waiting to start their job

The number of unemployed persons waiting to start their job within three months is highest ahead of the summer, with a peak in June. This means that the seasonally high level of unemployment ahead of the summer is largely due to many people finding work, but who are defined as unemployed persons in the statistics before they begin work.

Seasonal variation is most evident among young people. Between August and February, there were between 20 000 and 30 000 persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment among those aged 15 to 24 years. Ahead of the summer, this number increased gradually, and amounted to about 110 000 persons in June in the period 2012-2016.

Number of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment remains stable over time

The proportion of unemployed persons who are waiting to begin work as a part of the labour force has remained relatively stable in the period 2005-2016. At the same time, the proportion of unemployed persons excluding persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment has varied in the same period. It is therefore primarily unemployed persons excluding persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment who account for the variation in the unemployment rate. In 2016, the unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, and those waiting to begin work accounted for 1.4 percent of the labour force. The unemployment rate excluding persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment was 5.5 percent.

Relatively high proportion of persons in Sweden who are currently unemployed with forthcoming employment

An international comparison of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment shows that Sweden is among countries in Europe with the highest proportion of those unemployed persons who are waiting to start their job within three months. In a comparison with Denmark, Sweden has a higher unemployment rate, although when unemployed persons waiting to start their job are excluded, the difference between unemployment rates is considerably smaller. The proportion of persons currently unemployed with forthcoming employment may be affected by premises for studying, such as long study breaks that are not eligible for study allowance, making unemployment more highly affected by the seasons, and thereby affecting the number of those with forthcoming employment.

A more detailed report is available in the theme report:

Arbetsmarknaden för arbetslösa som avvaktar att påbörja ett arbete 2005-2016 (Statistical Report AM 110 SM 1801).