Since 1 January, the Swedish LFS is in compliance with the new EU framework regulation on social statistics (Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council). This framework regulation has involved changes in the definition of employment, the sampling procedure, and the structure of the questionnaire. These changes have caused breaks in the time series and therefore, this item of statistical news does not include any comparisons with the previous year for non-seasonally adjusted data. Comparisons with previous months in 2021 will be possible for seasonally adjusted and smoothed data. However, comparisons with the previous year are not advised, as it is currently not possible to distinguish real changes from the effect of adapting to the new framework regulation.

The number of employed persons decreased, partly due to the change in the definition, in which people who are completely absent from work for three months or more for certain reasons are no longer classified as being employed. Furthermore, new and updated information is used in the weighting procedures, which improves the precision in the estimates, although it also affects the levels of the number of employed persons. The change in the definition and the new weighting procedure led to a total estimated number of employed persons in March that is 63 000 fewer than according to the previous method.

In 2021 Statistics Sweden will use double measurement to enable linking of data back in time, for the purpose of making the series comparable with earlier years.

More information on the alignment to the framework regulation is available on the LFS product page at Information on the introduction of the new 2021 framework regulation in the LFS (scb.se).

The labour force

In March 2021, there were 5 496 000 people aged 15–74 years in the labour force, not seasonally adjusted. The number of men in the labour force was 2 918 000 and there were 2 578 000 women in the labour force. The relative labour force participation rate was 73.1 percent. This rate was 69.7 percent for women and 76.4 percent for men.

According to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data, there were 5 492 000 people in the labour force and the labour force participation rate was 73.1 percent. Compared with previous months in 2021, seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed an increase in the number of people in the labour force as well as the labour force participation rate.

The outcome for the labour force has been affected by the change in the definition of employed persons and by the new information used in the weighting procedure. The labour force maybe also have been affected by the change in the wording of the question on unemployment.

Employment

In March 2021, there were 4 946 000 employed people aged 15–74 years, not seasonally adjusted. There were 2 321 000 employed women and 2 625 000 employed men. The employment rate was 65.8 percent. This rate was 62.8 percent for women, and 68.7 percent for men.

According to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data, there were 4 994 000 employed persons and the employment rate was 66.5 percent. Compared with previous months in 2021, seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed an increase in the number of employed persons as well as the employment rate.

The number of employed persons has been affected by the change in the definition, in which some people who were absent from work are no longer classified as being employed. The new information used in the weighting procedure has also affected the outcome.

Employees

In March 2021, there were 4 480 000 employees according to non-seasonally adjusted data. Among employees, there were 2 197 000 women and 2 284 000 men. There were 3 847 000 permanent employees and 634 000 temporary employees.

According to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data, there were 4 507 000 employees. There were 3 837 000 permanent employees and 671 000 temporary employees. Compared with previous months in 2021, seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed an increase in the number of employees.

Employees is a subset of employed persons that has been affected by a change in the definition and by the use of new information in the weighting procedure.

Hours worked

In March 2021, the average number of hours worked was 156.8 million per week, not seasonally adjusted.

Seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed that the total average number of hours worked per week was 150.1 million, an increase compared with previous months in 2021.

The number of hours may have been affected by the use of new information in the weighting procedure.

At work and absence

There were 4 499 000 people employed and at work in March 2021, not seasonally adjusted.

The LFS estimates the number of people who were absent from their principal occupation for the whole week or for part of the week by main reason for absence. In March 2021, this figure was 1 614 000, not seasonally adjusted. There were 453 000 people absent for the whole week in March 2021. Among these, 143 000 were absent due to illness, while 103 000 people were absent due to holidays.

People who are absent due to lay-offs are often absent for only part of the week. There were 37 000 people in total absent for the whole week or part of the week due to lay-offs.

Seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed that there were 4 262 000 people at work. Compared with previous months in 2021, seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed an increase in the number of people at work.

Unemployment

In March 2021, there were 549 000 unemployed persons aged 15–74 years, which corresponds to an unemployment rate of 10.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted. There were 292 000 unemployed men and 257 000 unemployed women, which corresponds to 10.0 percent for both men and women.

In March, there were 498 000 unemployed persons according to seasonally adjusted and smoothed data, which corresponds to an unemployment rate of 9.1 percent. Compared with previous months in 2021, seasonally adjusted and smoothed data showed an increase in the number of unemployed people.

The number of unemployed persons may have been affected by the wording of the question in the new questionnaire.

Additional questions on the impact of COVID-19 on the labour market

In view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, questions about the impact of COVID-19 have been added to the LFS. The answers to these questions show that 82 000 employed people aged 15–74 years were absent during the whole reference week in March related to COVID-19. This means that among people who were absent during the entire reference week, 18.3 percent were absent due to COVID-19. This proportion was 19.6 percent for men and 17.4 percent for women.

Among employees aged 15–74 years who were absent during the entire reference week, 17.3 percent, which corresponds to 70 000 people, stated that their absence was related to COVID-19. Furthermore, 13.7 percent of employees who were absent during part of the week, 146 000 people, stated that their absence was related to COVID-19. Among self-employed persons and assisting family members aged 15–74 years, 36.9 percent felt that they had less work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while 17.5 percent felt that they had more work.

To be classified as unemployed in the LFS, a person must be without a job, must be able to start work and must have sought work. This means that people who are without a job, but who have not been seeking work or are unable to start work are not classified as unemployed, but are classified, instead, as not in the labour force. In March 2021, there were 2 020 000 people aged 15–74 years not in the labour force. Among these, 84 000 people stated that they would have been able to work, but had not sought work due to COVID-19.

2021-05-26.