arbetsverksamhet

Arbetverksamhet is a Swedish term for activities that aim to increase a person’s ability to work and to facilitate entry or return to the labor market. The concept covers a broad range of actions, such as job searching, updating skills, participating in training or education, internships, on-the-job training, and practical work trials. In Swedish policy discourse, arbetsverksamhet functions as a descriptive label for activities that participants undertake to improve employability or maintain connection to work.

In practice, the term is used by labor market actors such as Arbetsförmedlingen (the Public Employment Service), Försäkringskassan (the Social Insurance Agency), and municipalities when organizing, coordinating, or evaluating programs for unemployed individuals, people on sick leave, or others with limited work capacity. The specific obligations, opportunities, and eligibility for arbetsverksamhet vary across programs and over time, and they are tailored to each participant’s situation. The concept is primarily administrative and policy-oriented, rather than representing a single, uniform category of activity.

Examples of arbetsverksamhet include attending a job-search workshop, undergoing vocational training, participating in an internship or trial employment, engaging in career counseling, and completing practical assignments linked to a rehabilitation plan.

Etymology: from arbets- “work” and verksamhet “activity, operation.” The term is used mainly in Swedish social insurance and labor market contexts and is related to broader efforts to support employment and inclusion in the workforce.