No statutory minimum wage – pay is set in collective agreements or negotiated with your employer – and at least 25 days of paid holiday a year. Employers are short of staff in health care, IT, education and installation and maintenance jobs, more often in northern Sweden. Find out where to look, how to apply and how to get your personal identity number (personnummer).
Sweden is a country of 10.6 million people with an employment rate well above the EU average: 81.8% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).
At the same time, unemployment is high and has gone up every year – from 7.5% in 2022 to 8.8% in 2025, above the EU average of 6.0%. Young people find it especially hard: youth unemployment (15–24) was 24.3%, compared with 15.2% in the EU.
As an EU/EEA citizen you do not need a work permit. You can stay for up to 3 months with a valid ID card or passport, and longer if you work, look for a job with a genuine chance of getting one, or study. In most workplaces you need to read and understand Swedish – the main exceptions are IT, engineering, tourism and seasonal work.
Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.
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