Stockholm, June 21, 2023 – The Swedish labor market continues to show positive development, according to the latest statistics released by Statistics Sweden (SCB). In May 2023, the number of employed individuals reached 5,297,000, a year-on-year increase of 122,000 compared to May 2022. The average number of hours worked per week was 162.3 million hours, corresponding to a calendar-adjusted increase of 3.2 percent. The number of unemployed individuals stood at 456,000, resulting in an unemployment rate of 7.9 percent. Seasonally adjusted data indicates an increase in both the number and proportion of employed individuals, as well as a decrease in the number and proportion of unemployed individuals, with an unemployment rate of 7.2 percent.
Charlotta Olofsson, a statistician at SCB’s Labor Force Surveys, commented on the positive trends in the labor market, stating, “The development in the labor market continues to be positive. For example, employment continues to increase, and we also observe an increase in the number of hours worked, albeit at a slower pace in recent months.”
Labor Force In May 2023, the total labor force among individuals aged 15-74 was 5,753,000, a non-seasonally adjusted increase of 96,000 compared to the same month in the previous year. The number of women in the labor force was 2,766,000, representing an increase of 101,000 individuals, while the number of men in the labor force was 2,987,000. The labor force participation rate reached 75.9 percent, with women at 74.3 percent (a 2.3 percentage point increase) and men at 77.4 percent.
Seasonally adjusted data shows an increase in both the number and proportion of individuals in the labor force compared to neighboring months, with a total of 5,704,000 people in the labor force, corresponding to a labor force participation rate of 75.3 percent.
Employment The number of employed individuals aged 15-74 increased by 122,000 compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 5,297,000 in May 2023 (non-seasonally adjusted). The number of employed women increased by 107,000 to 2,563,000, while the number of employed men was 2,734,000. The employment rate reached 69.9 percent, representing a 1.2 percentage point increase. Among women, the employment rate was 68.8 percent (a 2.4 percentage point increase), and among men, it was 70.9 percent.
According to seasonally adjusted data, the number of employed individuals aged 15-74 reached 5,294,000, with an employment rate of 69.9 percent. This represents an increase in both the number and proportion of employed individuals compared to neighboring months.
Employees In May 2023, the number of employees was 4,779,000 (non-seasonally adjusted), reflecting an increase of 108,000 individuals compared to the same month in the previous year. The number of female employees increased by 102,000 to 2,423,000, while the number of male employees reached 2,356,000. The number of permanent employees increased by 120,000 individuals compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 4,060,000. Among permanent employees, there were 2,010,000 women (a 105,000 increase) and 2,050,000 men. The number of temporary employees was .