Unemployed persons

Statistics Denmark regularly publishes two sets of unemployment statistics: The register-based unemployment statistics, which assess net unemployment and gross unemployment, and the interview-based labour force survey (LFS), which assesses LFS unemployment. 

Net unemployment covers recipients of unemployment benefits, cash benefits and student grants who are job ready and not in job activation, converted into ‘unemployed persons in full-time equivalent’. 

Gross unemployment covers net unemployment in addition to recipients of unemployment benefits, cash benefits and student grants who are job-ready and in job activation, including persons employed with wage subsidies, converted to full-time equivalent (FTE). 

LFS unemployment follows the operationalisation of labour market affiliation by Eurostat and the ILO. LFS unemployment covers persons who indicate in the labour force survey that they are not in employment during the week that the survey takes place and that they have actively sought employment in the four weeks up to the week in which the survey takes place and that they are able to start a job within two weeks.

Thus, the unemployment concepts of the statistics vary. The register-based unemployment statistics includes only persons who are registered as unemployed and who receive certain benefits. The Labour Force Survey includes persons who are entirely jobless, who are actively seeking employment and able to take on a job. Thus, the Labour Force Survey includes groups of persons who are not registered as unemployed, e.g. students and pensioners seeking employment.

Read more about the unemployment concepts in the two sets of unemployment statistics

The register-based unemployment statistics are especially used: 

• when a monthly flash unemployment indicator is requested
• when a long time series from 1979 is requested
• in connection with small groups of people, e.g. at municipal level or broken down by unemployment funds
• when measuring the extent of part-time unemployment
• when linking with other register variables such as education and country of origin.

The Labour Force Survey is especially used:

• in connection with international comparisons
• for describing the labour marked affiliation of the population, e.g. how many are employed, unemployed or outside the labour force
• for focusing on unemployed persons who are not entitled to unemployment benefits or cash benefits
• for assessing the total number of persons who seek employment
• for information on e.g. youth unemployment (15-24-year-olds), since people in this group are often not entitled to unemployment benefits nor cash benefits