Jobs you should apply for – broaden your professional and geographical horizons
Arbetsförmedlingen assesses whether you have a good chance of finding a job in your current occupation and within daily commuting distance. This assessment affects which jobs you should apply for and where. This information is included in your action plan.
We assess which jobs you should apply for
At the beginning of your unemployment, Arbetsförmedlingen assesses whether you have a good chance of finding a job in the occupations in which you have education or experience, and within daily commuting distance. This assessment is also made whenever the action plan is updated. You can find the assessment in your action plan.
You may be allowed to apply for jobs in your professional field or within daily commuting distance if our assessment shows that you have a good chance of finding a job. Arbetsförmedlingen makes this assessment and decides for how long it should apply. It can apply for six months at most. After that, you must also apply for suitable jobs outside your professional field or elsewhere in the country.
If Arbetsförmedlingen assesses that you do not have good job prospects, you must apply for jobs in other occupations or in other parts of the country from the start of your unemployment.
What you need to know when applying for a job
Applying for jobs where you live – daily commuting distance
Having a job within daily commuting distance means that you shouldn't have to be away from home for more than 12 hours a day. For example, if you have a full-time job and leave home at 7 a.m., you should be able to be back home by 7 p.m.
This means that your travel time can get up to 3 hours in total, there and back, between your home and workplace. The same travel time applies even if you have a part-time job, and applies whether you travel by public transport, such as bus and commuter train, or by car.
Applying for a job outside your daily commuting distance
If you are going to apply for jobs outside your daily commuting distance, you will have to look for jobs elsewhere in the country. Your action plan will tell you how many jobs you should apply for outside your daily commuting distance. Usually, it's half the minimum number of jobs you should apply for each month, but the number can be higher or lower.
Current professional field and other occupations
If we assess that you do not have a good chance of getting a job in your current professional field, you will need to apply for jobs in other occupations. Your action plan will tell you whether you can apply for jobs only in your occupation or whether you need to broaden your search to other suitable jobs in other professional fields.
Your action plan will tell you how many jobs you should apply for outside your professional field. Usually, it is half the minimum number of jobs you should apply for each month, but the number can be higher or lower.
Applying for suitable jobs
If you are new to the labour market, you should apply for suitable jobs that match your education, experience, and other qualifications. The following links provide more information about what counts as suitable jobs:
What counts as a suitable job when receiving unemployment benefits
What counts as a suitable job when receiving compensation while participating in a program