Areas of responsibility

Ministry of Employment

• Labour market policy

  Matters concerning employment offices, implementation of labour market policies, adaptation of work and rehabilitation focusing on working life, as well as other labour market issues relating, among other things, to people with disabilities and unemployment benefit. The EU employment strategy and the European Social Fund's programme in Sweden.

• Working life

  Issues relating to working hours, work environment, the organisation of work and labour legislation. Continuing professional development.

• Integration

  Integration concerns the equal rights, obligations and opportunities of all, irrespective of ethnic and cultural background. This sphere of responsibility includes introducing new arrivals into the labour market and society in general, compensation to municipalities for refugee reception, Swedish citizenship and urban development.

• Discrimination

  The Government's aim is a society free from discrimination. This area includes measures to combat discrimination on grounds of gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnic origin, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age. Measures to combat racism, homophobia and other, similar forms of intolerance and issues to do with the situation of LGBT people are also linked to this area.

• Human rights at national level

  Responsibility for human rights is a matter of coordinating and developing human rights issues at national level. This includes responsibility for reporting to UN committees on compliance with certain conventions.

• Swedish Citizenship

  Swedish citizenship legislation is based on the principle of jus sanguinis, which means that citizenship is acquired at birth if either of the parents are Swedish citizens. Another fundamental principle is to avoid statelessness. Sweden has accepted dual citizenship since 2001.

• National minorities

  Minority policy concerns support for the national minorities and historical minority languages. The languages and cultures of the national minorities are part of our common Swedish cultural heritage. Strengthening protection of the national minorities is part of Sweden's work to safeguard human rights.