Our assignment

Arbetsförmedlingen’s assignment involves working with other actors to contribute to a well-functioning labour market in Sweden. Our activities are governed by mandates from the Swedish Parliament (the Riksdag) and the Government.

Support for jobseekers

We support jobseekers in the way they need and are entitled to. For many jobseekers, digital support is sufficient. Others need comprehensive, personalised, and long-term support. Special support and efforts are available for people with disabilities that reduce their capacity for work.

We work together with employers

It is Sweden's employers who create employment. To fulfil our assignment, we work together with employers, focusing on those who are open to a broader and more inclusive selection of candidates, with or without government support.

Control and work against welfare fraud

Unemployment insurance is a transition insurance that provides compensation for a limited period of time, provided that certain conditions are met. Checking that jobseekers meet the requirements for receiving compensation is a central part of our assignment.

We also work to prevent incorrect payments, dishonest actors, and serious and organised criminality.

We are one of many actors

We have overall responsibility for the implementation of labour market policy. We are one of many actors and cooperate with other government agencies, municipalities, employer and employee representatives, employers, industry organisations, and the non-profit sector to fulfil our assignment.

Experts on the labour market

We provide society with analyses, information and forecasts on labour market development, jobseekers, occupations, and labour market programmes. This contributes to constructive solutions to labour market challenges and a positive development for all citizens.

About the labour market (in Swedish)

The Parliament and Government govern us

The Swedish Parliament enacts the laws that govern our activities. The Government assigns tasks to Arbetsförmedlingen both on an ongoing basis and through the annual appropriation directions – a decision that governs the agency's activities during the year.

Appropriation directions for the Public Employment Service 2025 (esv.se)

Examples of our assignments from the government

The Employability Rehabilitation Programme is an activity we run in partnership with the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. The goal is for more people with a reduced working capacity due to disability or ill health to be able to return to work. We make it easier to enter the labour market by harnessing and developing the jobseeker’s resources and skills.

We have responsibility for coordinating the establishment in the labour market of certain new immigrants. We are to provide new immigrants with the conditions that allow them to learn Swedish, find a job and support themselves as quickly as possible. Part of this work involves identifying those new immigrants who do not have the knowledge required by the labour market and ensuring that they focus primarily on education and training. We are also to offer skills assessments for asylum seekers in order to speed up their establishment if they are granted a Swedish residence permit.

Organisations that contributes to faster pathways into the labour market for new immigrants is able to apply for subsidies for this.

Promotional funding for relevant actors (in Swedish)

Our assignment includes facilitating the free movement of labour and employers’ opportunities to recruit from within the EU/EEA and Switzerland. This is based on Sweden’s EU membership and is achieved through the EURES cooperation. Arbetsförmedlingen is also involved in other partnerships within the EU and internationally.

European and international work

Despite many employers having difficulty finding staff, the unemployment rate is high among people with disabilities. We need to change this. The employment rate among people with disabilities shall increase and unemployment shall decrease. The Government’s national objective for its disability policy is to achieve equality in living conditions and full
participation for people with disabilities in a society founded on diversity. This objective is based on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) is tasked with reducing long-term unemployment. We do this by strengthening support for people experiencing long-term unemployment, especially in socioeconomically vulnerable areas. This task is underway until 2026.

Task for reducing long-term unemployment (regeringen.se) (in Swedish)

Collaborations

The Swedish Public Employment Service collaborates with other authorities and municipalities to contribute to sustainable development in the labour market and in society at large.

Collaborations

European and international work

An increasingly global and digitalised labour market places greater demands on us to contribute to sustainable development in the labour market, in collaboration with others. The Swedish Public Employment Service collaborates within the EU and internationally to contribute to the sustainable development of the labour market in Sweden and in countries with which we collaborate.

EU and international work

The Public Employment Service is a preparedness authority

As one of Sweden’s preparedness authorities, the Public Employment Service must contribute to the functioning of society, even during a heightened state of alert.

What applies in case of war or a heightened state of alert