Unemployment insurance

Everyone working in Sweden is covered by an unemployment insurance (Alfa-kassa), but if you are not a member of a voluntary unemployment fund (A-kassa), the insurance payout is low (SEK 510 per day in 2024). To be eligible for compensation from the voluntary unemployment insurance (A-kassa), you must have been working for at least 60 hours a month for at least 6 months during the last 12 months or over the past year have worked a minimum of 420 hours over 6 consecutive months and a minimum of 40 hours each month.

Employees on fixed term contracts who intend to stay in Sweden are strongly advised to become members of a voluntary unemployment insurance fund (A-kassa), since members receive payments based on their salary; this is called income-based benefit. If you are not a member of an A-kassa you can still be eligible for unemployment insurance but at the basic rate. More information about unemployment insurance in general is found at Arbetsförmedlingen.

See also Akademikernas A-kassa, an unemployment insurance fund for academics.