TCO calls for higher unemployment insurance cap in Sweden

The Swedish trade union confederation TCO reports that only 17 percent of full-time white-collar workers can receive 80 percent of their previous salary through unemployment insurance (a-kassa). This is a significant decrease from 24 percent in 2021.

According to TCO’s new index, which utilizes salary statistics from SCB, the decline is attributed to the unemployment insurance income cap failing to keep pace with wage developments. The current monthly income cap stands at 34,000 SEK, resulting in a maximum pre-tax benefit of 27,200 SEK. Additionally, benefit levels have begun to taper off more rapidly since autumn 2025, dropping from 80 percent to 70 percent after 100 days, and to 65 percent after 200 days.

To ensure that eight out of ten full-time workers could receive 80 percent of their previous income, TCO is calling for the income cap to be raised from 34,000 SEK to approximately 52,000 SEK per month. TCO chairperson Therese Svanström stated that the current situation weakens financial security and risks harming labor market matching.