The Swedish Unemployment Insurance Inspectorate (IAF) is a public authority tasked with helping to ensure the proper functioning of the labour market. To that end, we scrutinise the work of unemployment funds, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency in managing aspects of the unemployment safety net including unemployment insurance, activity grants/development compensation and introduction benefits. 

A major part of our supervision is scrutinising the various parts of the social security system. By scrutinising, monitoring and highlighting deficiencies, we help ensure legal certainty for those entitled to various forms of compensation. We disseminate information about our oversight work by publishing reports and engaging in dialogue with unemployment funds, the Swedish Public Employment Service and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.

Supervision cases

When the work of an unemployment fund is significantly deficient or otherwise violates regulations, we can impose various sanctions. We can open a supervision case, issue a disciplinary caution or issue a rectification order. If the problem is not rectified in time, we may order that all or part of the unemployment fund’s government grant be withheld for a certain period of time. 

The IAF is tasked with tracking and promoting development in the area of unemployment insurance and parts of other compensation forms under our supervision. We issue regulations and contribute to improving precedent in judgments on unemployment insurance. When necessary, we propose regulatory amendments in our field. We also contribute to efforts to prevent and combat fraud and incorrect disbursements with the aim of ensuring the legitimacy of the social security system. 

As a supervisory authority, we manage various data regarding unemployment funds and unemployment insurance. This includes maintaining a register of unemployment funds and appointing government representatives to the boards of unemployment funds. We issue the Certificate U2, which grants jobseekers the right to seek employment in several European countries while maintaining their unemployment benefits, and we are also the EU liaison body for unemployment insurance. 

Our support and management functions provide the conditions for effective work in our various assignments. This includes management, governance, finance, IT, legal, HR and communications. 

The IAF has nearly 70 employees. We are organised in five units, and our office is located in Katrineholm.