At a glance
- Sweden's unemployment insurance system is to undergo significant reforms.
- From 1 October 2025, unemployment benefits in Sweden will be based on the applicant’s income.
- A rise in benefit levels will take effect earlier, starting 4 August 2025.
- Employers will no longer need to submit detailed 'employer certificates'. Instead, data will be pulled from tax declarations.
- The reform aims to reduce errors and fraud while easing the administrative load on employers.
From 1 October 2025, Sweden’s unemployment insurance system will undergo a major reform. Going forward, benefits will be calculated based on the applicant’s income. However, an increase in the level of support available to unemployed individuals will take effect earlier, from 4 August 2025.
For employers, the reform is expected to significantly ease the administrative burden associated with former employees’ unemployment claims. Under the current system, employers must complete an 'employer certificate' detailing, among other things, the number of hours the former employee worked each month. This process is often time-consuming and cumbersome.
Following the reform, unemployment insurance funds will instead be able to retrieve this information directly from employer declarations already submitted to the Swedish Tax Agency. This change is expected to improve accuracy and reduce both the administrative workload for employers and the risk of incorrect payments, whether due to error or fraud. This part of the reform will also come into effect on 1 October 2025.
The reform has faced criticism from trade unions, particularly over the shortening of the support period for unemployed parents. However, it also introduces new provisions: Unemployment insurance funds will now fall under the Swedish Administrative Procedure Act. The reform also addresses the sharing of information between authorities, the insurance funds, and employers in response to specific information requests.
At present, there are no penalties for employers who fail to provide such information, though it has been suggested that this may change in the future. We will continue to monitor how this significant reform unfolds once it is in place.
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