In Focus
Challenges to welfare state at top of ministers’ in tray
Youth unemployment has high political priority in the Nordic region. At the latest Nordic Council of Ministers meeting, labour ministers agreed to encourage employers to take on some of the responsibility for young people who don’t work and who are not in education.
Finland’s comprehensive social guarantee for young people
The Finnish government is rolling out a comprehensive programme aimed at young people. The social guarantee aims to offer all under-25s and all newly educated under-30s a job, study place, apprenticeship or rehabilitation within three months of the young person becoming unemployed.
Catapulted into work?
A youth project in Åland called Catapult is aiming to integrate unemployed youths into the labour market. The name might sound a bit more dramatic than what actually faces its target group of 16 to 24 year olds. But it does say something about Nordic politicians’ expectations.
Swedish youths’ first job in Norway
Anyone moving to another Nordic country must have some money - the first pay check doesn’t come immediately, but the living costs do. In Norway you normally have to pay a three months’ deposit on top of the first month’s rent - enough to stop many young people in their tracks.
Nordic report: ‘Youth on the edge’ the greatest problem
Nordic youth unemployment figures between 10 and 25 percent are bad enough. Even more alarming is the fact that 5 to 10 percent of Nordic 15 to 24 year olds are not in education, work or training. This problem has risen during the latest economic crisis.
Denmark’s rapidly growing youth unemployment must come down
Unemployment among young Danes has trebled in four years, and the government promises action despite an initial breakdown in negotiations between the social partners on a youth initiative.
Life after Nokia also means new opportunities
Thousands of Nokia’s former employees have been forced to rethink their futures as the company sheds jobs. In Finland many of them hope to start their own business.
Everybody wants and app - but what for?
“Mobile telephone apps mean new ways of working as we’ll be able to access systems from anywhere and companies will start using mobiles more and more as a tool,” says Elin Lundström, managing director at app developer and IT company Decuria in Stockholm.
The IT revolution’s third wave
The development of smartphones is changing many people’s lives. Yet universal online access is only one part of the new IT revolution which will also have a big impact on working life. Smartphones and tablets became really powerful tools when Apple allowed anyone to develop the apps these devices run.
Home address stops Valgerður’s maternity pay
An Icelandic woman who lives in Iceland but works for an Oslo-based business experienced the cross border commuter’s nightmare. Despite contributing to Norway’s national insurance fund since 2003, she receives no maternity pay. She doesn’t even know who will pay the hospital bill for when she gave birth to her son. Neither Norway nor Iceland wants to pay.
All problems are solvable - but new obstacles often emerge faster than old ones are removed
Border obstacles are words which don’t really do the issue justice. Getting across borders is the least of Nordic citizens‘ problems - they’ve enjoyed a common labour market and passport-free travel since 1954.
The typical cross border commuter is Swedish
A new Statistics Sweden survey due to be published in May shows Nordic cross border commuting increased by 166 percent between 2001 and 2008. Swedes are most likely to work in neighbouring countries, and now 80 percent of Nordic citizens who commute to Denmark and Norway come from Sweden. Higher wages seem to be the biggest draw.
Commuters across Øresund: We feel both Danish and Swedish
Swedish Per Andreasson and his wife have spent the past five years commuting from their home in Sweden to jobs in Denmark. The couple feel they’re getting the best of both worlds.
Swedes cross-border commute to Denmark more than anyone
Thousands of people commute to Denmark from neighbouring countries to work - especially Swedes. But in times of crisis the number of cross-border commuters dwindles.
Commuting: Iceland's challenge and opportunity
Commuting is increasingly popular among Icelandic doctors, nurses and craftsmen. They are mainly commuting to Norway, but also to Sweden. Wage levels are important, but commuting from a small country like Iceland also means a chance to develop professionally.
Nordic women lose power despite Denmark’s new prime minister
The Nordic Labour Journal’s gender barometer shows equality between the sexes in top political and professional positions is falling in the Nordic region. Denmark gaining its first female prime minister with Helle Thorning-Schmidt does not make up for the fact that Finland has just got a male president and a male prime minister.
Danish gender equality shifting up a gear
Denmark’s new Minister for Gender Equality, Manu Sareen, promises to turbo charge gender equality. His main focus will to fight violence against women and a gender-divided labour market. He wants more women in top management and into board rooms.
More women rise to the top at Carlsberg
It’s looking bad for gender equality in Danish companies’ boardrooms and management. There is massive opposition to legally binding female quotas. Now one of Danish business’ old giants is taking voluntary action: from 2015 at least 40 percent of the elected members to the board of Carlsberg brewery will be women.
Women’s businesses mirror gender segregated labour market
There is strong political will in Sweden to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship. Between 2007 and 2014 the centre-right government spent a total of 800m SEK (€90m) on supporting, developing and highlighting women’s enterprise.
Effective sanctions make Norway’s quota law a success
The law on quotas is the most efficient measure to improve the boardroom gender balance. “But the law should be followed up by effective sanctions and state measures which help stimulate the action.” That is the advice from head of research Mari Teigen to other countries looking to legislate for quotas on company boards.
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