Unions and unemployment funds

How the Swedish labour market works

Sweden has no law that sets a minimum wage. Minimum pay and many other terms of work are set in collective agreements signed by trade unions and employer organisations.

How common are they? According to the Mediation Office (Medlingsinstitutet), 88 % of employees aged 18 to 68 were covered by a collective agreement in 2025 (83 % in the private sector), and just under 70 % were union members. Even if you are not a member, your employer's collective agreement can still apply to your job: ask whether there is one.

Union and a-kassa: two different things

This is the most common mistake among newcomers: thinking "the union" and "the a-kassa" are the same. They are not. Sveriges a-kassor says so plainly:

"Du behöver inte gå med i facket för att gå med i a-kassan, och tvärtom." (You do not have to join a union to join an a-kassa, and vice versa.)

	Union (fack)	A-kassa
What it is	Organisation of employees in a sector or profession	Unemployment insurance fund
What it gives	Collective agreement and help in workplace disputes; often extra benefits	Benefit if you lose your job and meet the conditions
Who can join	Usually people working in the union's sector or profession	Sector and profession funds have their own criteria; Alfa-kassan is open to anyone who has worked in Sweden, in any occupation
Cost	Depends on the union and often on your income	Depends on the fund; example: Alfa-kassan 170 kr per month
Tax-deductible?	No: "Du kan inte få något avdrag för din fackföreningsavgift" (Skatteverket)	Not stated here: ask your fund

The union: finding the right one

Swedish unions are organised by sector or profession and belong to three large confederations:

• LO: blue-collar workers;
• TCO: white-collar employees;
• Saco: university graduates.

To find yours, look for the union for your sector or profession on the confederation's website, or ask colleagues or the skyddsombud (safety representative) at your workplace.

What a union does

• negotiates the collective agreement for your sector;
• helps you in disputes with your employer.

Many unions also offer extra income insurance (inkomstförsäkring). Terms vary: ask what it covers, what it costs and from when it applies.

A-kassa: the rules in force since 1 October 2025

The a-kassa (arbetslöshetskassa) pays a benefit to people who lose their job. Since 1 October 2025 the system is income-based.

The conditions

The reference period (ramtid) is the 12 months before the month you apply. In that period you must have had:

• at least 120,000 kr of income;
• at least 11,000 kr per month in at least 4 months.

Monthly income counts up to a maximum of 34,000 kr, and you must be at least 20 years old.

How many days you get

In the reference period...	Days
at least 11,000 kr a month for 11–12 months	300
at least 11,000 kr a month for 8–10 months	200
at least 11,000 kr a month for 4–7 months	100
you do not reach 120,000 kr in total, but earned at least 11,000 kr in 4 consecutive months	66

The benefit level depends on your membership

Membership of the a-kassa	Level
Member for at least 12 months in a row, covering the whole reference period	80 %
Member for at least the last 6 months	60 %
All other cases, even if you are not a member	50 %

If you are not in any fund, you can still receive the 50 % level: non-members apply through Alfa-kassan.

How to claim

1. Register with Arbetsförmedlingen on your first day of unemployment. The rule is blunt: "Du kan inte få ersättning från a-kassan för dagar som du inte varit inskriven hos Arbetsförmedlingen" (you cannot receive a-kassa benefit for days when you were not registered with Arbetsförmedlingen).
2. Apply to the a-kassa through Mina sidor.

For Swedish courses, registering as a jobseeker and job search, see the guide SFI, work and a-kassa.

Have you worked in another EU/EEA country?

Periods of work and insurance in another EU/EEA country can be added to your Swedish periods using the U1 certificate (Intyg U1 – för sammanläggning av perioder). It is issued by the authority of the country where you worked. The easiest route: ask your a-kassa, which requests it electronically.

Workplace basics

The rules on types of employment are in the Employment Protection Act (LAS):

• Tillsvidareanställning: a permanent contract.
• Provanställning: a probationary period of at most 6 months.
• Särskild visstidsanställning: a fixed-term contract that becomes permanent after more than 12 months in total within 5 years.

Holiday: by law you have 25 days' holiday a year (the Annual Leave Act, semesterlagen). If you start work after 31 August, your first year gives you 5 days.

Skyddsombud: the employees' safety representative, usually appointed by the union (Work Environment Act, ch. 6).

Common mistakes

• Thinking union and a-kassa are the same thing. They are two separate memberships, each with its own fee.
• Waiting to join an a-kassa. Without 12 months of membership you will not reach 80 %.
• Believing membership is enough. You must also meet the income conditions and apply on Mina sidor.
• Registering with Arbetsförmedlingen late. Days before registration are not paid.
• Forgetting the U1 certificate if you have worked in another EU/EEA country.
• Expecting to deduct union fees from tax. That is not possible.
• Signing without knowing whether there is a collective agreement. Ask the employer or the union.
• Forgetting the limits on temporary contracts. Probation is at most 6 months; särskild visstid becomes permanent after more than 12 months in 5 years.