The theme report for the fourth quarter of 2016 describes the development of persons available to work but not seeking in the period 2005 to 2016. The group constitutes a subgroup of persons outside the labour force. The group consists of persons who say that they want to and are able to work, but who are not classified as unemployed in the LFS, since they have not sought any jobs. The report describes the development of persons available to work but not seeking with regard to background variables such as sex, Swedish or foreign born persons, age and studies. The figures are presented as annual averages.

In 2016, there were 109 000 persons available to work but not seeking

The number of persons available to work but not seeking was 109 000 in 2016, of whom 57 000 were men and 52 000 were women. The largest number of persons available to work but not seeking was in the 15–19 age group, and amounted to 47 000 persons. In the 65–74 age group, the corresponding number was 13 000. Thereby, the percentage of persons aged 20–64 only accounted for 45 percent of the total number of persons available to work but not seeking.

Between 2005 and 2016, the progress of the number of persons available to work but not seeking followed the progress of the unemployment rate relatively consistently, with a decrease in the first years in the period, an increase between 2008 and 2009 linked to the financial crisis, and then a decrease again in the last years of the period.

A large proportion of persons available to work but not seeking were full-time students

In 2016, 47.4 percent of persons available to work but not seeking were full-time students. The proportion of full-time students was highest, 77.8 percent, in the 15–19 age group. The proportion of full-time students decreases with increasing age.

The proportion was higher among Swedish born persons than among foreign born persons. In 2016, the proportion of full-time students among Swedish born persons available to work but not seeking was 49.4 percent, while the corresponding figure among foreign born persons was 42.9 percent.

The proportion of persons available to work but not seeking, and wanting a full-time job decreased

In 2016, the proportion of persons available to work but not seeking who wanted a full-time job was 32.3 percent. In the period 2005–2016, the proportion of those who wanted a full-time job decreased by 6.9 percentage points. The proportion of those who wanted a part-time job with short hours was 38.3 percent and the proportion of those who wanted a part-time job with long hours was 29.4 percent. The reason for a large proportion of persons wanting a part-time job is because a large proportion of persons available to work but not seeking are young people who are studying full-time.

Studies was the most common reason for not seeking a job

Among persons available to work but not seeking, studies was the most common reason for not seeking any jobs. Among women, 39.1 percent said that the reason why they did not seek a job was because of studies; among men, the corresponding percentage was 35.9 percent. The fact that this was the most common reason is because of the large proportion of young persons among the persons available to work but not seeking.

The proportion of persons available to work but not seeking because they considered that they had little chance of getting a job was 14.5 percent in 2016. Among women the percentage was 16.1 percent, and among men it was 13.2 percent. In the period 2005–2016, the proportion of this group among persons available to work but not seeking decreased from 32.2 percent in 2005 to 14.5 percent in 2016.

Less than half of persons available to work but not seeking have worked before

In 2016, more than half of the persons available to work but not seeking had not worked before. However, there are large differences between age groups. Among people aged 15–19, only 11.9 percent had worked before. The majority in the youngest age group had thus not yet made their entrance in the labour market. Among those aged 25-54 years, 66.8 percent had worked before. In the older age groups, few had not worked before. However, a large percentage of them had not worked in the last year.

When persons available to work but not seeking are put in relation to the entire group of those outside the labour force in 2016, to the proportion was 5.3 percent of all persons outside the labour force. The largest percentage was in the 15–19 age group, in which 13.4 percent of those outside the labour force were persons available to work but not seeking. The lowest proportion was in the older age groups, where the percentage was 2.7 percent for the 55-64 age group and 1.4 percent for the 65–74 age group. Among Swedish born persons outside the labour force, 4.7 percent were available to work but not seeking, and among foreign born persons the corresponding figure was 7.7 percent.

A more detailed report is available in the thematic report Persons available to work but not seeking 2005–2016 (Statistical Report AM 110 SM 1701).

2017-03-16