When you get full-time work
When you start working, you must notify the unemployment fund. The easiest way is through your monthly application in Mina sidor. If you become unemployed again within a year, you continue on the same compensation period. This also applies if more than a year has passed, provided the break was due to circumstances such as illness, full-time studies, or parental leave.
Submit your final monthly application in My Pages.
State the start date of your employment and enter the salary that will be paid for that month.
Notify Arbetsförmedlingen that you are no longer unemployed.
Submit your final activity report to Arbetsförmedlingen — even if you were unemployed for just one day that month.
Once full-time employment begins, you are no longer entitled to compensation. This may result in a gap between your last compensation payment and your first salary. If you can’t wait for the money, consider asking your employer for an advance.
When you get part-time work
If you start part-time work, you must continue to look for full-time employment, submit monthly applications to the unemployment fund, and report your activities to the Public Employment Service. If you work part-time, you can combine employment with compensation for up to 14 months.
In your monthly application, you must state:
Which employer you work for.
The total gross salary you have received or will receive.
If there are other factors that should be deducted from your compensation, such as illness without sick pay, care of sick child (vab), or if you’ve taken time off from job seeking. The reduction for one day is 1/22 of the monthly amount that would have been paid if you had been fully unemployed.
Established monthly income less than SEK 34,000
Background: Tina and her compensation
Established monthly income: SEK 25,000
Compensation level: 80%
Compensation days per month: 22
Income from work during the month: SEK 5,000 before tax
If Tina had been fully unemployed, she would have received 80% of SEK 25,000 — that is, SEK 20,000 in compensation before tax.
Since she earned SEK 5,000 during the month, this corresponds to 20% of her established monthly income. That means she lost 80% of her income (5,000 / 25,000).
She is therefore entitled to 80% of the lost income: 80% of SEK 20,000 = SEK 16,000 before tax.
The number of compensation days is also reduced by 80% of the full 22 days, which equals 18 days of compensation.
Three principles for reporting income for compensation
All income received must be reported in the monthly application, and there are three different principles: the accrual principle, the cash principle, and lump sums. Which one to follow depends on the type of employment and how the salary is paid.
If you're unsure about your gross income, you can check your payslip or view “My income details” at Skatteverket
Accrual principle Income must be reported in the month in which the work was performed and the income was earned. It does not matter when the money is paid. This applies to individuals with a fixed monthly salary and hourly employment where salary is paid for full calendar months.
Cash principle Income must be reported in the month it is paid. The cash principle applies if the salary covers more than one calendar month and the income varies depending on the scope of work, timing, and performance. Example: Someone with hourly employment and a pay period covering two months, such as work performed between January 15 and February 14.
Lump sums If you’ve worked over several months and receive your salary as a one-time payment when the assignment is completed, the salary must be evenly distributed over the period. The income should be allocated and reported continuously, even if the money hasn’t been paid yet. It doesn’t matter how many days you worked during the month.
Do you have to look for work when you've just gotten a job?
To be eligible for compensation, you must actively seek and be able to accept work. This means you should continue looking for jobs even if you’ve already secured one that hasn’t started yet. Many people find it strange to apply for jobs when they already have one, so here are a few tips on how to handle the situation:
Focus your job search on short-term or hourly positions.
Attend any potential job interviews.
Don’t turn down a job that would end your unemployment earlier than the position you’ve already signed for.
If you absolutely don’t want to apply for or accept any work due to your upcoming employment, you can deregister from Arbetsförmedlingen and stop applying for compensation from the unemployment fund.