Unemployment benefits in Sweden are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. They can be divided into a voluntary scheme with income-related compensation up to a certain level, or a comprehensive scheme that provides a lower level of basic support. History “Help-funds", the first form of unemployment insurance in Sweden, were created in the 1870s. They are closely linked to trade unions. Since the institution of local employment agencies in the 1930s, and amid the climate of Keynesian policies, the State began to finance unemployment benefits. Since the 1940s, the aim of unemployment insurance was to "provide economic support during a 'transitional period' when the individual who lost his/her employment or left school actively seeks a new employment". In 1948, the employment offices were nationalised, and the National Labour Market Board was established as the central authority, charged also with the task of supervising the voluntary employment relief funds, which were subsidised and controlled by the unions. Since 2004, the latter task has been overseen by the Unemployment Assistance Board. Labor market policies in the post-war period were built on two concepts: the "active labour market policy", and the task of unemployment insurance to support the readjustment of individuals to the labor market. To have this effect, unemployment insurance had to have some features: It should not be paid unless the individual has the possibility to take on work during at least a minimum number of hours each week. It should be required for individuals to look for work actively. It should require individuals to participate in labour market programmes which aim to support the individual's possibilities to reenter the labour market. The person should not be allowed to look only for the same kind of job in the long run, as they had before or have been training for. The person should not be allowed to only look for a job within a limited geographical area. Main features The Swedish unemployment insurance system has two components: basic insurance and voluntary income-related insurance. Basic insurance is granted to anyone who meets the basic work requirements: 320 SEK per day are granted to anyone over 20 years of age who is enrolled at the employment office and is carrying out a job-seeking plan. Voluntary income-related insurance requires the worker to join one of the 36 independent unemployment funds. To become one of the 3.4 million recipients