News
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Finland extends parental leave
Three Nordic countries have recently made changes to parental leave. Iceland increased the leave for both parents to six months in 2021, while Denmark and Finland made changes this summer.
3 minutes -
Labour market policies a challenge for Swedish government negotiations
Labour market issues were overshadowed by crime, high energy prices and immigration in the run-up to the Swedish election. As the centre-right block tries to negotiate a government platform supported by the Sweden Democrats, unemployment and public health insurance might be among the political chess pieces.
6 minutes
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Swedes abroad: Can they really sway an election?
Every four years a special group of people get attention for a moment of time – the Swedes living aboard. Everyone wants to know how they will vote in the parliamentary elections. It is often claimed that overseas votes “can determine the election” because they are counted so late. But this year there was also…
5 minutes
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New whistleblower act challenges Sweden’s unique freedom of expression
Freedom of expression is enshrined in the Swedish constitution, and no other country has more far-reaching protection for employees who want to go public with irregularities in the workplace. As a result, expectations of a new whistleblower act were high. Criticism came fast.
6 minutes
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Iceland’s union chief quits among infighting
The has been an increasing conflict within the labour unions in Iceland for the past few years. Now it has reached a new level as Drífa Snædal, the President of the Icelandic Confederation of Labour, resigned from her post on 10 August.
4 minutes
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Norway’s labour shortages stretch to “the furthest island”
The lack of qualified labour has become a major problem in many places in the Nordics. In the Norwegian county of Trøndelag unemployment has never been lower. This can also be felt on Frøya, an island of some 5,000 people.
4 minutes
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Sweden lands new landmark main agreement
Finally, the large labour law reform which has been called a structural shift for the Swedish model is in place. LO, PTK Council for Negotiation and Cooperation and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise have signed the new basic agreement on “security, transition and employment protection”.
3 minutes
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Arvika: Where EU temporary protection directive is turned into housing, jobs and schooling
By May 2022, 12.5 million Ukrainians were fleeing the war. 5.5 million have fled abroad and are covered by the EU’s temporary protection directive. 134 of them have arrived in Arvika in Sweden’s Western Värmland, which has now signed an agreement with the Swedish Migration Board to settle refugees long term.
9 minutes
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Nordic focus on new jobs without discrimination
Upskilling and gender equality will be central to the Nordic countries’ labour market cooperation in the coming years.
2 minutes -
After a couple of yellow cards – EU agreement on Swedish startup jobs
Sweden will be able to spend 404 million euro in state support for so-called etableringsjobb – or entry jobs – for newly arrived and long-term unemployed people. That is now clear as the European Commission has approved a completely new model for encouraging companies to hire people who find it particularly hard to access the…
2 minutes