This study examines how unemployment is framed as a social problem in Swedish and Danishnews reporting. It combines quantitative framing analysis with qualitative interpretationsinformed by discourse theory to explore how unemployment is constructed in the media andhow differences in journalistic framing relate to institutional and socio-economic differencesbetween Sweden and Denmark. The comparative design makes it possible to examine howunemployment is framed within two Nordic contexts characterized by similar media andwelfare systems but partly different labour market policy models.The empirical material consists of 189 news articles from six national newspapers, publishedbetween September and December 2025. The material is analysed through a quantitativecontent analysis complemented by qualitative interpretations inspired by critical discoursetheory.The findings indicate that unemployment is primarily framed as a structural problem, linked topolitical and market-related factors, while individual explanations occur only to a limitedextent. At the same time, the political solutions presented are often directed toward theindividual, for example through reforms aimed at strengthening incentives to seek employment.The individual thus emerges not primarily as the cause of unemployment, but as the site atwhich solutions are expected to be implemented. The reporting frequently presents solutionssuch as reduced welfare benefits to increase economic incentives for work. These framings canbe interpreted, in light of Esping-Andersen's theory (1990), as reflecting a withdrawal ofpolitical responsibility and a tendency toward the recommodification of labour.The differences that emerge between the two countries primarily concern which themes andactors are given space in the reporting. Danish reporting, taking place in a context of lowunemployment, is more frequently associated with migration, demographic challenges, andgeographical differences between urban and rural areas. Swedish reporting, taking place againsta background of higher unemployment, focuses to a greater extent on labour market measuresand economic policy reform proposals within the framework of the so-called “work strategy”(arbetslinjen).