Almost all jobs are considered suitable
In principle, almost all jobs are considered suitable when you are unemployed. To be entitled to compensation, you must apply for all jobs referred by Arbetsförmedlingen. In the job search plan that you create together with your employment officer, the following factors should be taken into account:
Education
Work experience
Current labor market
If Arbetsförmedlingen determines that the unemployed person is not sufficiently active in their job search, they will send a notification to the unemployment fund. The fund will then investigate and decide whether the person has fulfilled their job-seeking obligations.
The employer decides if you have sufficient qualifications
When applying for a job, it is the employer who determines whether you have the appropriate or sufficient qualifications for the position. If they are willing to hire you, the job is considered suitable.
What happens if you say no?
If you decline suitable employment or refuse to extend a temporary position, you are considered to have prolonged your unemployment unnecessarily.
The unemployment fund (a-kassan) receives a notification from Arbetsförmedlingen or the employer and will then collect your comments and assess whether the employment was suitable.
If the employment is deemed suitable, the following applies:
First time: suspended for 5 days
Second time: suspended for 10 days
Third time: suspended for 45 compensation days
Fourth time: you lose the right to compensation entirely. To regain eligibility, you must once again meet an income requirement.
Declining work before applying for unemployment compensation
If you decline a job before becoming unemployed and applying for compensation, suspension is rarely applicable. This is because you have usually worked at least 5 days after turning down continued employment. The timing of the job offer and your decision to decline it are important factors.
Declining continued employment
Charlotta has a fixed-term position that ends on January 31. In December, she is offered an extension of one month. She declines the offer immediately, and by the time she applies for compensation from the unemployment fund, the five suspension days have already passed.
When is it okay to say no?
In certain situations, you may have the right to decline a job without facing sanctions, because the employment is not considered suitable. Here are a number of examples:
It is not possible to commute
In general, you are expected to be able to commute daily or weekly. If you are offered a job in a location that is too far away to commute, you are expected to arrange accommodation near the workplace. If you have a family, it should be reasonably possible to arrange a new family residence within a suitable timeframe.
There are medical obstacles
If, for medical reasons, you are unable to apply for or accept a specific job, you need a medical certificate that supports your claim. The certificate must also include an assessment of the conditions required for you to be able to perform the work.
It doesn’t work for the family
Family-related reasons may entitle you to limit your job search area during a reasonable transition period while you actively work to reduce local constraints. Examples of valid family reasons include:
You have children who require daily supervision and support, and the household cannot be relocated.
Your spouse, partner, or equivalent has working conditions that prevent them from managing the household alone or relocating to another area.
You are a single parent and depend on support from someone in your current location to be able to work.
A reasonable transition period is the time needed to find new solutions for support needs. After this period, a job is considered suitable if the applicant can return to the shared residence at least once a week.