Sweden's unemployment in August 2026: more jobs, but the rate holds at 8.7%

More people in Sweden have a job today than a year ago. In August 2026, 5,423,000 people were employed, according to the Labour Force Survey (AKU) from Statistics Sweden (SCB). That's 103,000 more than in August 2025.

Unemployment barely moved, though. The seasonally adjusted and smoothed rate came in at 8.7%, the same level SCB reported for July. So how do both things happen at once? More people have joined the labour market, which means the workforce is growing about as fast as the number of jobs.

And there's some good news for young people. Youth unemployment is falling.

Sweden's unemployment rate in August 2026: the key numbers

SCB released the August figures on 16 September. These are the ones worth knowing:

• 8.7% unemployment, seasonally adjusted and smoothed. That's 509,000 people aged 15–74.
• 8.5% unemployment in the unadjusted figures, or 505,000 people.
• 5,321,000 employed, seasonally adjusted and smoothed, giving an employment rate of 69.6%.
• 23.8% unemployment among 15–24-year-olds, a total of 174,000 people.
• 156.4 million hours worked per week, seasonally adjusted and smoothed.

Two different unemployment rates can be confusing. The trend figure strips out things that happen at the same time every year, like summer jobs and the start of the school term. Compare trend with trend. SCB itself warns against mixing the two.

How to read the figures

AKU is based on a sample of the population, not on everyone living in Sweden. That means every figure comes with some uncertainty, and SCB publishes the margins of error in its detailed tables.

The trend figures can also change after the fact. Each time SCB adds a new month, it recalculates the seasonally adjusted and smoothed series, and earlier months can shift. If you've seen a slightly different July number elsewhere, that's usually why. This article uses the figures SCB published for each month.

More people working, but unemployment stays flat

Put July next to August and the pattern shows up. In July, SCB reported 5,304,000 employed and an employment rate of 69.3%. In August it was 5,321,000 and 69.6%. Employment keeps growing month by month.

The number of unemployed rose slightly, from 503,000 in July to 509,000 in August, while the rate held at 8.7%. The explanation sits in the labour force. More people are now in the job market, either working or actively looking for work.

Felicia Holm, a statistician on the Labour Force Survey at SCB, sees encouraging signs. In her words, August showed positive signs on the labour market, with both employment and labour force participation rising, and the increase in employment driven mainly by women.

Permanent and temporary jobs are both up

In August there were 4,834,000 employees. Of these, 4,142,000 had a permanent contract and 692,000 a fixed-term one. SCB reports growth in both groups compared with the surrounding months.

If you're job hunting, that means movement on two fronts. Employers are hiring on permanent contracts, and they're also taking on temps and fixed-term staff.

Youth unemployment in Sweden is easing

Youth unemployment in Sweden has been high for a long time. In August it stood at 23.8% on SCB's trend figures, down from the 24.4% SCB reported for July. The number of unemployed young people was 174,000 in both months.

Same number of unemployed, lower share. In other words, more young people have entered the labour market, and most of them are finding something. Still, almost one in four young people in the labour force doesn't have a job, so there's a way to go.

The Public Employment Service sees the same trend

Arbetsförmedlingen, Sweden's Public Employment Service, sees the same direction in its own statistics. In a press release on 13 August, acting head of analysis Lars Lindvall said unemployment keeps falling compared with the same month last year, while the labour market recovery is moving slowly.

On 26 August the agency published a county-by-county picture. Unemployment fell in every county in the second quarter of 2026. Västerbotten saw the biggest drop, followed by Västmanland and Gävleborg.

SCB and Arbetsförmedlingen measure things differently. AKU is a sample survey, and Arbetsförmedlingen uses its own statistics. The numbers won't match exactly, but they point the same way.

What this means if you're looking for a job in Sweden

Job hunting is still tough. 509,000 people are looking for work at the same time as you. But employers are hiring, and SCB sees more people in work every month.

A few things you can do right now:

• Apply for permanent and temporary roles. Both kinds of employment are growing. A temp job gives you Swedish work experience and a reference for your next application.
• Look beyond your own municipality. Unemployment fell in every county last quarter. A job half an hour away counts too.
• Let the jobs come to you. Set up a job alert on recruit.se/jobb and we'll email you new listings that match your search. No account needed.

For employers: a bigger pool of candidates

Sweden's workforce is growing, and according to SCB the rise in employment is driven mainly by women. More people entering the labour market gives you a wider choice when you recruit.

Got a role to fill? Post your vacancy on Recruit.se and reach job seekers all over Sweden.

The bottom line

August sent mixed signals. 103,000 more people have a job than a year ago, the employment rate is rising and youth unemployment is falling. Unemployment still holds at 8.7%, because more people are stepping into the job market.

Want a head start? Browse the latest jobs in Sweden or set up a job alert and get new listings straight to your inbox.