Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment was rising in Sweden. On 11 March 2020, the Swedish Public Employment Service reported that unemployment had been rising for eight consecutive months.

However, the numbers are not strictly gloomy. One major factor in the rise in unemployment was the fact that people who were previously not in the labour market at all have now started to look for a job. This means they have become visible in the statistics—first, adding to the figures of unemployed people but hopefully becoming employed in the future.

The risk of long-term unemployment is higher among people with lower competitiveness in the labour market. By the end of February, 154,000 people had been unemployed for at least twelve months, which is 10,000 more than a year ago.

Foreign-born women accounted for one-third of the increase in the number of unemployed, and they tend to suffer more than other groups from longer times without work. This is a group with many individuals outside the labour market and therefore not appearing in the statistics, according to Annika Sundén, head of analysis at the Public Employment Service.

It is therefore a positive trend that more foreign-born women are registering with the Public Employment Service as unemployed, as becoming part of the workforce is the first step towards a job.

According to the Public Employment Service, in order to decrease unemployment among foreign-born women, a combination of efforts is required: adult education, on-the-job training (internships, etc.) and subsidised employment.

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