Employment
Articles on employment in chronological order.
New Nuuk airport could provide lift for Greenland’s labour market
Direct cross-Atlantic flights to Nuuk could bring even more tourists to Greenland and in the long term encourage Greenlandic youths to get an education and find work in their home country.
Nordic governments' sigh of relief as collective bargaining rights still intact
Pilots and cabin crew do not perform work of equal value, thus it is not discriminatory when pilots receive higher travel allowances. This was the somewhat anticlimactic ruling from the EU Court of Justice in a case that Sweden and Denmark feared would set a precedent that could threaten the right to free collective bargaining. That did not happen this time.
All prim and proper in sports and construction
In this edition, we have two themes: The fight against work-related crime and Sport as occupation. We thought they were very different. But there are things in common also here.
Norway doing construction in a more orderly way, but EU temping rules might stop it
When Oslo’s new government quarter is constructed, it is done with workers who have regulated wages and working conditions. This is ensured, among other things, by the controversial hiring ban.
Tight Nordic-Baltic cooperation against work-related crime
Work-related crime is a growing problem that requires cross-border collaboration between state authorities and countries. For several years, a Nordic-Baltic collaboration on work-related crime has been in place. In January 2025, it will be formalised on the initiative of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Coach to Norwegian ski stars: Burnout not worth it
Lage Sofienlund is a successful cross-country skiing coach. While training to be one, he asked himself more than once: “Is being a coach really a career?”
Pro footballer: Takes more than playing ball
Santeri Väänänen (22) from Finland is a professional football player for Norwegian Rosenborg BK. Everyday life is pretty much the same regardless of which country you are playing in, he thinks.
The Swedish football club using sports against unemployment and for inclusion
The challenge for sports clubs is to attract those who have not yet become engaged, especially those who need support on their journey toward a healthier life and who want to become more involved in society. It’s about more than just building muscles.
Young Norwegians increasingly unhappy with working life
The 2024 Working Life Barometer shows more people are struggling financially, more fear losing their jobs or becoming ill and many young people are unhappy with working life.
Danish farmers “exploiting foreign interns”
Danish farmers are using cheap labour from Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania and India by using an agricultural intern programme. Trade unions have been critical to their working conditions and have secured continued oversight of the programme.
Mobilising for a strong social Europe
On 16 April, a new social declaration on the future of employment policy covering the years 2024 to 2019 was adopted in Belgian La Hulpe. The La Hulpe Declaration was signed by the Belgian Presidency on behalf of 25 countries. Sweden and Austria were the only EU states not to sign.
Socially excluded young people, a key issue across the Nordics
Across the Nordic region, there is a focused search for measures to include young people who are not in education or employment into the labour market. Researchers agree that the best solution is for young individuals to be followed up by people they can have close and long-term relationships with. But the number of people who find themselves socially excluded remains approximately on the same level.
Danish Royal stardust for youth jobs in Esbjerg
”Energy for Each Other” is a youth initiative in Esbjerg municipality, known across Denmark, which has won an award for getting young people into education and work. Three of those young people now work at Den Jyske Kontrolcentral, where head of operations Erik Sørensen is very content with his young co-workers.
Employment specialist helped Norwegian Julia (17) find her dream job
Close cooperation between two public authorities in Norway is giving young people with mental health challenges a new chance in the classroom or in the labour market. Employment specialist Anne Tvedt helped Julia Engan Pettersen find her dream job.
Iceland: Work is better than therapy for vulnerable youth
“It pays to invest in people, and we must never give up on our young people,” says Vigdís Jónsdóttir, the CEO of the job rehabilitation centre VIRK in Iceland. Last year, VIRK was one of the signatories to a memorandum of understanding involving a large increase in support for young people in vulnerable situations.
Immigrants struggle to find work in the Nordics despite labour shortages
Many immigrants in Nordic countries are left without jobs, despite labour shortages. The Finnish company Snellman has a lot of experience with hiring immigrants. “Immigrants are very keen on getting a job and they are keen workers. They are loyal employees,” says head of HR Ann-Marie Eklund.
Nordic researchers want political action on NEETs
More and more young people in the Nordics are not in education or employment. Not enough is done to help young people facing extra challenges, argue Nordic researchers.
Considerable local differences in Sweden's efforts for NEETs
Swedish municipalities have very different approaches to how they help more young people with social inclusion, according to a survey that also includes examples of successful measures. Meanwhile, a Nordic project is working to improve young people’s mental health – one of the biggest risk factors for ending up in social exclusion.
The Tesla strike – a fight for the Swedish model
A drama is taking place in the Swedish labour market. The trade union IF Metall is taking industrial action to get EV maker Tesla to sign a collective agreement. Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest people and Tesla’s main shareholder, refuses. After many sympathy actions from other trade unions, he is taking the Swedish state to court.
Iceland’s unemployment rate lowest for 20 years
Unemployment goes up and down and is almost always connected to the strength of the economy. This is also the case now, as Iceland’s economy has begun to grow again after the pandemic – largely because of tourism. The unemployment rate in June was 2.5 per cent, the lowest for 20 years. Although this is in itself a positive thing, it has some negative side effects.
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