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Basic requirement

To be eligible for benefits from the unemployment insurance fund (a-kassa), you must be actively seeking work and demonstrate that you are managing your job search. This includes, among other things, being registered with Arbetsförmedlingen, actively looking for work in Sweden, being prepared to accept suitable jobs, and submitting an activity report every month.

These rules will take effect on October 1, 2025.

Managing your job seeking

Here are 4 points that describe what it means to manage your job seeking:

  1. You must be registered with Arbetsförmedlingen, stay in contact with them as agreed, and help create an action plan. You also need to submit an activity report to Arbetsförmedlingen no later than the 14th of each month.

  2. You must actively apply for jobs—these can be jobs you find yourself or those suggested or assigned by Arbetsförmedlingen. It can also include submitting expressions of interest or CVs to employers. It’s important to follow your action plan, both in terms of the types of jobs you should apply for and the minimum number of applications required.

  3. You must be prepared to accept any suitable job. In principle, all jobs are considered suitable, and it is ultimately the employer who decides if someone has the right qualifications. If you're unsure whether a job is suitable, you can call the a-kassa for more information.

  4. You must be in Sweden and looking for work here to be considered a job seeker, but you are of course allowed to apply for jobs abroad as well. If you plan to travel abroad for, for example, a job interview, you must check with the a-kassa, as you normally need to be in Sweden to receive benefits.

What does it mean to neglect your job seeking?

Many unemployed people react negatively to the phrase “neglecting job seeking,” but it refers to common situations that can occur when unemployed—such as forgetting to submit your activity report, missing a scheduled call with Arbetsförmedlingen (the date is in your action plan), or applying for too few jobs.

Notification when payments may be affected

If Arbetsförmedlingen believes that job seeking has been neglected, they send a message to the a-kassa. Warnings and suspensions are signals that something has not worked in the job-seeking process. The purpose of the rules is corrective—to help the job seeker avoid losing benefits in the future.

  1. First time: warning (no effect on payment)

  2. Second time: suspended for 1 benefit day

  3. Third time: suspended for 5 benefit days

  4. Fourth time: suspended for 10 benefit days

  5. Fifth time: right to benefits ends until a new income requirement is met