Labour Force Surveys (LFS)

Official statistics of Sweden

Upcoming publishing: 2025-07-25

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.

Labour force surveys (LFS), previous definitions

Labour Force Surveys (LFS), previous definitions

2025-06-11: Information about level of education

Quality deficiencies have been discovered in the LFS regarding the variable level of education. Work is underway to map its extent and impact on the statistics. However, it can already be stated that the shortcomings consist of the LFS underestimating people with primary and lower secondary education and upper secondary education and overestimating people with post-secondary education. Furthermore, it can be stated that the quality deficiencies are greater for number estimates than for share and change estimates.

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Key figures for Sweden

Labour force rate

76.0 %

Reference period: May 2025

1.1 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Unemployment rate

9.7 %

Reference period: May 2025

1.0 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Employment rate

68.6 %

Reference period: May 2025

0.3 %-unit

compared with the same period previous year

Labour force rate (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

75.7 %

Reference period: May 2025

Unemployment rate  (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

8.7 %

Reference period: May 2025

Employment rate  (smoothed and seasonally adjusted)

69.1 %

Reference period: May 2025

Statistical news

Permanent employees are increasing but unemployment remains at a higher level

2025-06-17

In May 2025, there were 5 231 000 employed people, not seasonally adjusted. The number of permanent employees increased by 81 000 people compared to May 2024 and amounted to 4 185 000. The number of hours worked per week averaged 167.4 million. The number of unemployed people increased by 66 000 and amounted to 561 000. This corresponds to an unemployment rate of 9.7 percent, an increase of 1.0 percentage points. Seasonally adjusted and smoothed data show an increase in both the number of employed people and in the employment rate. The seasonally adjusted and smoothed unemployment rate stood at 8.7 percent.

All statistical news for this statistic

Tables and graphs

Tables in the Statistical Database

Publications

Title Language Type Date
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2025:1 - Theme: Work from home and hours worked Swedish Report 2025-03-25
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2024 Swedish Report 2025-02-25
Labour Force Surveys (LFS), 2024:4 – Theme: Work more or work less? How much do employees in Sweden want to work? Swedish Report 2024-12-03
Patterns of non-response in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys 2010–2023 Swedish Report 2024-10-31
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2024:3 - Theme: How do the time series of the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) relate to the business cycle? Swedish Report 2024-09-24
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2024:2 – Theme: How much do people in Sweden work? Swedish Report 2024-06-26
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2024:1-Theme: Older people´s participation in the labour market 2001–2023 Swedish Report 2024-03-26
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2023 Swedish SM 2024-02-27
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2023 – Theme: Long-term unemployed 2005–2023 Swedish Report 2023-12-06
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2023 ) – Theme: The development on the labour market for young people Swedish Report 2023-06-13
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2023 – Theme: Labour market for foreign born in Sweden and the EU Swedish Report 2023-03-28
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2022 Swedish SM 2023-02-28
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2022:2 – Theme: Risks of unemployment and chances of employment during the corona pandemic Swedish SM 2022-12-06
Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 2022 – Theme: Working from home during the Corona pandemic Swedish SM 2022-09-13
Labour force surveys (LFS) 2021 Swedish SM 2022-06-15
Unemployment duration in the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and time out of work at the Swedish Public Employment Service 2016 – A comparative study Swedish Report 2018-11-13
Employed and hours worked in Labour Force Surveys and National Accounts. Background Facts – Labour and Education Statistics 2016:1 Swedish 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
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
Over- and undercoverage in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) – a register-based analysis Swedish Report 2017-05-31
Analysis on nonresponse bias for the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) Swedish Report 2017-05-24
Unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and the Swedish Public Employment Service – A comparative study Swedish SM 2016-06-30
Employed and hours worked in Labour Force Surveys and National accounts Swedish Rapport 2016-06-22
Background facts: Patterns of non-response in the Swedish LFS Swedish 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
Background facts: Flow statistics – an early indicator of turning points on the labour market? English Rapport 2015-04-30
Background facts: Method for estimation when combining samples with different designs in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys Swedish Rapport 2014-02-13
Background facts: Unemployment statistics from the Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and the Swedish Public Employment Service – A comparative study Swedish Rapport 2013-09-12
Background facts: Linking of central series in Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 1970–1986 Swedish Rapport 2013-08-27
Background facts: Part-time employed job seekers English Rapport 2013-08-27
Background facts: Part-time employed job seekers Swedish Rapport 2013-08-27
Background facts: Youth unemployment – comparability in statistics between a number of European countries English Rapport 2013-05-23
Background facts: Revising Surveys – Linking Old and New Data 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 Swedish Rapport 2013-04-02
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
Background facts: The Sampling and Estimation Procedure in the Swedish Labour Force Surveys 2005– Swedish Rapport 2011-11-25
Background facts: The Labour Force Surveys (LFS) 50 years – A presentation of four different perspektives from independent researchers Swedish Rapport 2011-09-30
Background facts: Recruitment Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Surveys English Rapport 2011-09-26
Background facts: Basic principles for Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and labour market statistics Swedish Rapport 2011-06-22
Background facts: Recruitment Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Surveys (LFS) Swedish Rapport 2010-12-09
Background facts: Basic principles for Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and labour market statistics Swedish Rapport 2010-05-25
Bakgrundsfakta: Flow Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Survey English Rapport 2005-12-05
Background facts: Flow Statistics from the Swedish Labour Force Survey Swedish Rapport 2005-11-16
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