New law on October 1, 2025
As of October 1, 2025, a new Unemployment Insurance Act will come into effect. Some of the major changes include that eligibility will be based on your income instead of hours worked, the length of your membership will affect the benefit level, and the number of months with income will determine the duration of your benefit period. If you already have an ongoing benefit period in October, you will continue under the current rules.
Transition period – two legal frameworks
During a transition period, two legal frameworks for a-kassa will apply simultaneously. Anyone with an ongoing benefit period as of 30 September 2025 will continue under the old regulations. All decisions made from 1 October 2025 onward will be subject to the new Unemployment Insurance Act.
The income requirement – a condition for benefits
To receive benefits, you must meet an income requirement. This means you must have earned at least 11,000 kronor per month for at least 4 months – and a total of at least 120,000 kronor during the year before you became unemployed. We always make an individual assessment. If, for example, you have been ill or on parental leave, the period on which we base your benifit can be extended.
Basic conditions – what you need to do
To be eligible for benefits from the unemployment fund, you must be actively seeking work. This means you must be registered with Arbetsförmedlingen, apply for jobs in Sweden, be ready to accept suitable work, and submit your activity report every month. This shows that you meet the requirements to receive benefits.
How days and benefit levels are calculated
The number of benefit days and the level you receive are based on how long you have been a member of the unemployment fund and how many months you had income before becoming unemployed. The longer your membership and the more months with income – the better the conditions.
What is the qualification period?
The qualification period is the 12 months we use to assess whether you meet the conditions for benefits. It begins the month before you register with Arbetsförmedlingen and apply for benifits, and extends 12 months backward. Illness, parental leave, etc., can extend the period.
Why membership is more important than ever – how it affects your benifit from October 1, 2025
Starting October 1, 2025, a membership in a-kassan becomes more important than ever. The new law means that your benifit level is affected by how long you have been a member. To receive the highest possible benifit, you must have been a member during the entire qualification period – the twelve months before unemployment. Since unemployment often comes unexpectedly, it is wise to join the unemployment fund as soon as you start working.
How the new rules affect you as self-employed
From October 1, 2025, your right to benefits will be assessed based on income instead of hours worked. To be eligible for benifit, you must either close or put your business on hold. In certain exceptional cases, you may combine self-employment with benefits – but only if you had both employment and a business before becoming unemployed.
Employer certificate will soon be simpler
A positive change for employers is that the need for long and complicated time and salary reports will disappear when a-kassan can retrieve income data directly from Skatteverket. The information that the employer will still need to certify concerns the employment itself.
