In Focus
Swedish women in blue-collar jobs lose out
The gender wage gap continues to narrow in Sweden. But take a closer look at the numbers, and you see that not everyone is part of the positive development. Ahead of the 8th of March, LO again warns that women in blue-collar jobs are lagging behind.
Sick leave levels tend to rise during good times
Sick leave linked to psychological ill health has increased in Finland in recent years. According to research from the country’s Social Insurance Institution, there is a link between the increase and many years of economic growth. This has happened before.
Vabba or vobba, that is the question
In Sweden, February is often known as Vabruary, because that is the month most parents chose to vabba, a Swedish term for taking time off to look after sick children. Now it is becoming more common to stay at home with sick children while also working, This is known as vobba, and is proving somewhat controversial.
New Norwegian IA agreement: More of the same, but fewer conflicting goals
After 17 years, the Inclusive Workplace Agreement (IA) was renegotiated and changed in late 2018. No-one still knows for sure how to reduce sick leave levels, but the remedies in the IA agreement will now be available to all companies.
2018 – a trying year for Statistics Norway’s independence
Statistics Norway (SSB) did not hold back in its description of itself in its latest annual report: “SSB acts as Norway’s first line of defence in the fight against fake news by providing objective and relevant statistics, research and analysis to help understand Norway,” it says.
Denmark leads the way on statistics using microdata
When it comes to statistics, Denmark is leading the way in the Nordics as well as internationally. Half a century of data-gathering from personal information registers provides detailed statistics about Danes and their working lives.
Tourism pushes Iceland's CO2 emissions to record levels
While many countries have managed to cut their climate gas emissions, Iceland has seen a marked increase in recent years according to the latest data from 2016. That year, the per capita carbon dioxide emissions were 16.9 tonnes. The EU average was 7.3 tonnes per capita.
OECD: Politicians put too much trust in the GDP
Do we have the necessary statistics to govern our societies in the best possible way? Or is a blind trust in statistics to blame, at least indirectly, for the collapse in trust in authorities after the financial crisis? Before dismissing this as a conspiracy – the theory was presented by none other than the OECD.
Marjo Bruun: The new economy is a statistical challenge
Marjo Bruun, Director General for Statistics Finland, considers journalists to be the most important partners in the fight for honest words and digits.
Nordic statistics: frontline defenders of truth
Narrowing social gaps is what defines democracy. If the figures only reflect growth but not how it is distributed, we end up with the wrong political decisions. The five Nordic statistics central agencies work every day to show and explain how the Nordics tick. But there are many challenges when it comes to maintaining trust and creating the statistics we need.
Nothing is sacred in the debate about the Swedish model
The current Swedish collective agreement does not run out until 2020. That should normally mean a period of calm for the Swedish labour market. But the debate is raging: Big changes to the labour market could be just around the corner, depending on who ends up forming a government.
Politics could pose a threat to Denmark's unique labour market model
The government and parliament could undermine the flexicurity model by shaving too much off unemployed Danes’ benefits, warns Danish professor.
Finnish government on collision course with unions
The conflict between the Finnish government and trade unions over weakening employment protection legislation has led to several political strikes in Finland. The conflict seems to have been solved thanks to classic tripartite negotiations, yet the future of the tripartite model is increasingly unclear.
The European Labour Authority ELA challenges the Norwegian model
“If it turns out that Norwegian collective agreements can be overruled by the European Labour Authority, Norway might have to use its veto power in the EEA,” says Marianne Marthinsen, a member of parliament from the Norwegian Labour Party.
New conflict solving methods needed for reindeer husbandry
A new mediation body is needed to deal with conflicts within reindeer herding. Existing courts and mediation bodies do not fit in with Sami culture. This proposal comes from two Norwegian researchers and a judge who have spent three years studying conflict solution within the Sami reindeer husbandry.
Theme: Focus on conflict resolution
Politicians, trade union leaders and employers share one thing: Conflict solving forms a large part of their jobs. A society needs to balance work and capital, rules and freedoms, in order to achieve welfare.
A new attitude to who might participate in the labour market?
“Nothing is harder than giving up what does not work.” That was the message from Norway’s welfare administration director Sigrun Vågeng as she opened the largest Nordic conference on Supported Employment so far in Oslo. Is this a sign of a paradigm shift?
The Nordics implement Supported Employment in very different ways
The Nordic countries use Supported Employment for getting vulnerable groups into the labour market in very different ways. A growing number of studies show the method gives better results than traditional measures.
18 recommendations to improve Danish work environments
Workplaces should be more centre stage in the work to improve work environments. That is the recommendation from an expert committee appointed by the Danish government, tasked with turning around negative workplace developments.
Denmark can learn from Sweden’s work environment measures
Sweden has a stronger culture for cooperation than Denmark when it comes to work environments, according to a survey carried out on behalf of an expert committee looking at measures for improving work environments.
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