Swedish unemployment remains stubbornly high despite government changes

Sweden’s unemployment rate has risen by around 100,000 people during the current government’s term, though high joblessness has persisted for decades regardless of which party holds power, public broadcaster SVT reports.

“For more than three decades, we’ve had very high unemployment. It has proven extremely difficult to address,” Albin Kainelainen, director-general of the National Institute of Economic Research, told SVT.

The issue has become a key point of contention ahead of the 2026 election, with Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (Moderate Party) and opposition leader Mikael Damberg (Social Democrats) both acknowledging high unemployment while Svantesson argues other labour market indicators remain strong.

SVT’s political reporter Ulf Hambraeus examined whether historical data shows one governing bloc performing better on jobs, noting that high employment and high unemployment can coexist in statistics. The analysis also identifies the single most influential factor driving unemployment trends.