One of the most used indicators within the RMI is the matched employment rate. It shows the extent to which individuals with different educational backgrounds have obtained jobs in occupations that fully match their education.

A person is considered fully matched when both the level and field of education correspond to the occupation they hold. In the matched employment rate, the number of fully matched individuals is compared to the entire population within the same educational group.

A high general employment rate combined with a low matched employment rate, for example, indicates that educated individuals have found jobs, but in occupations that do not fully correspond to their education. This may be an indication of lower demand for the specific education.

In 2023, the matched employment rate was 53 percent among individuals aged 20–64. The general employment rate, on the other hand, was 81 percent. The difference between these measures consists of individuals who are employed, but in occupations that only partially, or not at all, match their education.

– When it comes to regional differences, both the general employment rate and the matched employment rate were highest in Västerbotten County, with 85 and 56 percent respectively. Conversely, the proportions were lowest in Södermanland County and Skåne, says Marc Doppelbauer, analyst at Statistics Sweden.

Lower matched employment rate among men

In general, men are slightly less likely to work in occupations that fully match their education, compared to women. The matched employment rate was 50 percent among men aged 20–64, compared to 55 percent among women. The general employment rate was 81 percent for both groups.

The gender gap in matching exists in all of Sweden’s regions and can partly be explained by the relationship between matched employment rate and level of education.

In general, men have a lower level of education than women. Among men, it is more common to have a pre-secondary or upper secondary education as the highest level of education, while the proportion with at least three years of post-secondary education is significantly lower than among women.

At the same time, the match between education and occupation is lowest among those with a pre-secondary education—11 percent nationwide—and highest among those with at least three years of post-secondary education, where the matched employment rate is 71 percent.

Individuals with low education generally find it more difficult to obtain a matching job, as the labor market increasingly demands specialized skills, which are often acquired through higher education. Low-educated individuals face a limited supply of jobs with broad tasks that do not always require specific skills that can be linked to the individual’s education.

Large differences in employment rate and job matching between native-born and foreign-born

In 2023, the matched employment rate nationwide among native-born individuals aged 20–64 was 58 percent, compared to 39 percent among foreign-born individuals. This is a difference of 19 percentage points.

But there are also large differences in the general employment rate. In 2023, the employment rate for native-born individuals was 87 percent and 65 percent for foreign-born individuals, a difference of 22 percentage points. The differences in both employment rate and job matching reflect the general challenges that foreign-born individuals face in the labor market.

Even at the regional level, the differences in both employment rate and matched employment rate between native-born and foreign-born individuals are significant. In the counties of Skåne, Blekinge, and Kronoberg, these differences are relatively large. Foreign-born individuals have difficulty both in finding a job and in finding one that fully matches their education. In the counties of Västmanland, Norrbotten, and Västerbotten, the differences are relatively small, which means that foreign-born individuals have it relatively easier to find a job and one that fully matches their education.

Gotland and Värmland counties are examples of regions where the difference in employment rate between native-born and foreign-born individuals is relatively large, while the difference in matching is comparatively small. This can be interpreted as foreign-born individuals having difficulty entering the labor market, but those who do manage to find employment are more likely to work in occupations that fully match their education.