The basic conditions

The basic conditions mean that you have to be

• able to work at least 3 hours each working day and for at least 17 hours a week on average.
• registered as a job seeker with the Swedish Public Employment Service and have informed them that you want to apply for unemployment benefit.
• are able and willing to take a job immediately.

The work requirement

The work requirement means that you have worked before you registered at the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen). You must meet one of the following requirements:

• You have worked 60 hours per month during 6 of the 12 latest calendar months.
• You have worked 40 hours per month, in total 420 hours during 6 consecutive calendar months.

If you have not worked at all

You can not receive benefits from an unemployment insurance fund if you never have worked before. Studies and parental leave do not count as work and can not be used to fulfill a work requirement.

Excluded time

If you have not worked in the last 12 months before becoming unemployed, we can check whether you previously have fulfilled the work requirement. We can check a period of a maximum of 5 years. This period is called excluded time (överhoppningsbar tid).

Some examples of excluded time are:

• illness
• care of your biological child before its 2nd birthday and care of an adoptive child during the child’s first 2 years with the family
• time on parental leave
• time spent receiving a careers allowance
• time spent on full military service
• time spent in full-time education