Minister for Employment (Sweden)

Member of Sweden's government

Minister for Employment

Arbetsmarknadsminister

Lesser coat of arms of Sweden

Incumbent
Johan Britz

since 28 June 2025

Ministry of Employment
Member of| The Government
Appointer| The Prime Minister
Term length| Serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holder| Ingemund Bengtsson
Formation| 1974
Website| www.regeringen.se/sveriges-regering/arbetsmarknadsdepartementet/johan-pehrson/

The Minister for Employment[1] (Swedish: Arbetsmarknadsminister) is a member of the Government of Sweden and is the head of the Ministry of Employment.

## History

[edit]

The position was introduced in 1974 during Palme I cabinet and abolished in 1998 under the Persson cabinet, when the responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications, where from 1998 to 2002, the deputy minister for industry, employment and communications and from 2002 to 2006, the minister for employment were ministers responsible for the issues. When the Reinfeldt cabinet took office in 2006, the position was reinstated.

## List of officeholders

[edit]

Color key

Independent
Historical parties:   Lantmanna   Moderate   National Party   Liberals   Liberals   Liberals   Liberals
Present parties:   Social Democrats   Moderate   Centre   Left   Liberals   Christian Democrats   Green   Sweden Democrats

### 1974–1998

[edit]

Portrait  | Minister
(Born-Died) | Term  | Political Party  | Coalition  | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Duration

| Ingemund Bengtsson
(1919–2000)| 1 January 1974| 8 October 1976| 2 years, 281 days| Social Democrats| –| Palme I

| Per Ahlmark
(1939–2018)| 8 October 1976| 7 March 1978| 1 year, 211 days| Liberals| C–M–L| Fälldin I

| Rolf Wirtén
(1931–2023)| 7 March 1978| 31 July 1980| 2 years, 146 days| Liberals| –
C–M–L| Ullsten
Fälldin II

| Ingemar Eliasson
(born 1939)| 31 July 1980| 8 October 1982| 2 years, 69 days| Liberals| C–L| Fälldin III

| Anna-Greta Leijon
(1939–2024)| 8 October 1982| 19 October 1987| 5 years, 11 days| Social Democrats| –| Palme II
Carlsson I

| Ingela Thalén
(born 1943)| 19 October 1987| 11 January 1990| 2 years, 84 days| Social Democrats| –| Carlsson I

| Mona Sahlin
(born 1957)| 11 January 1990| 4 October 1991| 1 year, 266 days| Social Democrats| –| Carlsson II

| Börje Hörnlund
(born 1935)| 4 October 1991| 7 October 1994| 3 years, 3 days| Centre| M–C–L–KD| Bildt

| Anders Sundström
(born 1952)| 7 October 1994| 22 March 1996| 1 year, 167 days| Social Democrats| –| Carlsson III

| Margareta Winberg
(born 1947)| 22 March 1996| 6 October 1998| 2 years, 198 days| Social Democrats| –| Persson

| Björn Rosengren
(born 1942)| 6 October 1998| 31 October 1998| 25 days| Social Democrats| –| Persson

### Minister responsible for labor issues 1998–2006

[edit]

Portrait  | Minister
(Born-Died) | Term  | Political Party  | Coalition  | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Duration

| Mona Sahlin
(born 1957)| 6 October 1998| 21 October 2002| 4 years, 15 days| Social Democrats| –| Persson

| Hans Karlsson
(born 1946)| 21 October 2002| 6 October 2006| 3 years, 350 days| Social Democrats| –| Persson

### 2006–present

[edit]

Portrait  | Minister
(Born-Died) | Term  | Political Party  | Coalition  | Cabinet
Took office  | Left office  | Duration

| Sven Otto Littorin
(born 1966)| 6 October 2006| 7 July 2010| 3 years, 274 days| Moderate| M–C–L–KD| Reinfeldt

| Tobias Billström
(born 1973)
Acting| 7 July 2010| 5 October 2010| 90 days| Moderate| M–C–L–KD| Reinfeldt

| Hillevi Engström
(born 1963)| 5 October 2010| 17 September 2013| 2 years, 347 days| Moderate| M–C–L–KD| Reinfeldt

| Elisabeth Svantesson
(born 1967)| 17 September 2013| 3 October 2014| 1 year, 16 days| Moderate| M–C–L–KD| Reinfeldt

| Ylva Johansson
(born 1964)| 3 October 2014| 10 September 2019| 4 years, 342 days| Social Democrats| S/SAP–MP| Löfven I
Löfven II

| Eva Nordmark
(born 1971)| 10 September 2019| 18 October 2022| 3 years, 38 days| Social Democrats| S/SAP–MP
S/SAP–MP
S/SAP| Löfven II
Löfven III
Andersson

| Johan Pehrson
(born 1968)| 18 October 2022| 10 September 2024| 1 year, 328 days| Liberals| M–L–KD| Kristersson

| Mats Persson
(born 1980)| 10 September 2024| 28 June 2025| 291 days| Liberals| M–L–KD| Kristersson

| Johan Britz
(born 1975)| 28 June 2025| Incumbent| 39 days| Liberals| M–L–KD| Kristersson

## Other ministers in the Ministry of Employment

[edit]

In addition to the head of the ministry, the Ministry of Employment has at times also housed additional deputy ministers responsible for various areas such as immigration, gender equality, labor law, youth affairs, etc. These ministerial titles varied, and most often covered only a part of the minister's responsibilities, usually the dominant area of focus. For example, Anna-Greta Leijon served not only as the minister for immigration but also held responsibility for labor law issues[2] and matters concerning disabled individuals in the workplace. Karin Andersson, as the deputy minister of employment, was responsible for gender equality and immigration issues,[3] a combination that has recurred in later times.

In the 2019 government, the minister associated with the Ministry of Employment, in addition to the minister of employment, held the title of minister for gender equality/minister responsible for combating discrimination and segregation.[4]

Before the establishment of the Ministry of Employment, many matters were handled within the Ministry of the Interior, where individuals such as Camilla Odhnoff were responsible for immigration and family affairs, including gender equality.[5]

Name  | Period  | Party  | Title

|
|
|

| Anna-Greta Leijon (1939–2024) | 1 January 1974 – 8 October 1976 | Social Democratic Party | Minister of immigration and minister for gender equality
| Eva Winther (1921–2014) | 18 October 1978 – 12 October 1979 | Liberal People's Party | Minister of immigration and minister for gender equality
| Karin Andersson (1918–2012) | 12 October 1979 – 8 October 1982 | Centre Party | Minister of immigration and minister for gender equality
| Anita Gradin (1933–2022) | 8 October 1982 – 9 October 1986 | Social Democratic Party | Minister of immigration and minister for gender equality
| Georg Andersson (born 1936) | 9 October 1986 – 29 January 1989 | Social Democratic Party | Minister of immigration
| Maj-Lis Lööw (born 1936) | 29 January 1989 – 7 October 1991 | Social Democratic Party | Minister of immigration and minister for gender equality
| Leif Blomberg (1941–1998) | 7 October 1994 – 22 March 1996 | Social Democratic Party | Minister of immigration
| Ulrica Messing (born 1968) | 22 March 1996 – 6 October 1998 | Social Democratic Party | Minister for labour law and minister for gender equality
| Erik Ullenhag (born 1972) | 5 October 2010 – 3 October 2014 | Liberal People's Party | Minister for integration
| Åsa Lindhagen (born 1980) | 21 January 2019 – 5 February 2021 | Green Party | minister for gender equality
| Märta Stenevi (born 1976) | 5 February – 30 November 2021 | Green Party | Minister for gender equality and minister for housing
| Eva Nordmark (born 1971) | 10 September 2019 – 18 October 2022 | Social Democratic Party | Minister for employment and minister for gender equality
| Johan Danielsson (born 1982) | 30 November 2021 – 18 October 2022 | Social Democratic Party | Minister for housing and deputy minister for employment
| Paulina Brandberg (born 1983) | 18 October 2022 – 1 April 2025 | Liberals | Minister for gender equality and deputy minister for employment
| Nina Larsson (born 1976) | 1 April 2025 – | Liberals | Minister for gender equality

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Utrikes namnbok: svenska myndigheter, organisationer, titlar, EU-organ och länder på engelska, tyska, franska, spanska, finska och ryska (PDF) (11th revised ed.). Stockholm: Utrikesdepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 2021. p. 67\. ISBN 9789198657418. SELIBR 7l1vmnds54g3h922.
2. ^ von Arndt, Katarina (19 July 2018). "Lagen om anställningsskydd LAS - Besluten som format Sverige" (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
3. ^ Demker, Marie (2018-03-08). "Karin Elisabet Andersson". Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-04-14.
4. ^ "Sveriges nya regering" (in Swedish). Government Offices of Sweden. 2019-01-21. Archived from the original on 21 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-27.
5. ^ "Camilla Odhnoff har avlidit". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). TT. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2019-01-27.

## External links

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