Employment
Articles on employment in chronological order.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt: Danes must work more
More people must work more, productivity must increase and salaries will freeze. These are central elements to Denmark’s new centre-left government’s labour market policy, which has been relatively well received by both employers’ and workers’ organisations.
Iceland’s Gudbjartur Hannesson puts people’s welfare first during the crisis
We have learnt that a state welfare system is immensely important and a prerequisite for a healthy working life, says Island’s Minister for Welfare Gudbjartur Hannesson. That is why protecting our welfare system has been given top priority during the crisis.
Riots highlight Manchester’s unemployed underclass
What made hundreds of youths run amok in Manchester and other UK cities in August? Debate has been fierce in the weeks following riots that cost five lives and millions of pounds in damages. The political right blames a moral collapse, the left blames budget cuts and social deprivation. In Manchester the riots have led to a renewed focus on the large and growing gap between the rich and poor.
Large differences in work environments and health among Danish workers
A new major survey exposes marked changes both for the better and for the worse in how Danes experience their own work environment and health.
Language skills - the key that doesn't always fit
Few statements enjoy such broad political agreement in the Nordic countries as this: language skills are key to both integration and working life. All five countries offer immigrants several hundreds of hours of free language courses, but they have chosen different models and put different demands on students.
Free workplace language training in Denmark
All foreigners with permanent residency in Denmark are entitled to Danish language lessons. Many language courses are held in the workplace, and businesses see the benefits of in-house language training.
Nokia's scraps mobile ecosystem in fight to survive
Nokia is shedding thousands of staff world-wide - the equivalent of one in ten workers within its mobile telephone business. The move is part of Nokia's attempt to remain in profit and improve the growth outlook within a completely new technological ecosystem.
Work is top priority in integration of Sweden's new arrivals
As soon as newly arrived refugees are granted permission to stay in Sweden the process of getting them established in society begins. The goal is to cut the time it takes to get settled into the labour market. Those who want to can use personal guides who'll help them with work and integration.
OECD warning to Sweden on unemployment
The OECD praised the Swedish economy in its economic report on 20 January. But there was also a warning about Sweden's high unemployment rate and the risk of a two tier labour market.
Soft skills needed for the new White and Green jobs
The EU Commission has presented a new agenda for new skills and jobs. During the economic crisis there are still two kinds of jobs that are in extra demand – the white and the green ones.
Meeting of Nordic Labour Ministers: Turning point for youth politics
How do you reach youths who are not in education nor employment? How do you motivate youth to finish their education? How do you secure a safe transition between school and working life? These were among the questions when labour ministers met to discuss youth unemployment in Copenhagen on 25 November.
Hillevi Engström: more social responsibility needed in working life
Once the leading star of Swedish Police, Hillevi Engström is now in charge of whipping working life into line. She wants to use her role as Minister for Employment to challenge businesses to take social responsibility. In return she offers economical incentives and an improved education system.
OECD: the most exposed young must get help now
"If we want to avoid a generation of unemployed, it's time to help the most exposed to get jobs or education. In the long term we need structural measures to improve the basic system," says Stefano Scarpetta, the OECD's deputy director for employment, labour and social affairs.
Finland's Anni Sinnemäki: passionate about an individually tailored welfare system
Finland's Minister of Labour wants to make individuals visible. Young people should not be seen as a uniform group but as separate people with different needs. In Finland a lot of time has been spent analysing each person's situation, and as a result, she says, the state can offer more rational measures tailored to the individual's needs.
Sweden's Södertälje: a public-private solution to immigrant challenges
Södertälje in Sweden has more than 40 percent immigrants of foreign heritage. For some years the municipality received more refugees from war-ravaged Iraq than the USA and Canada combined, so it's had its share of challenges when it comes to jobs, accommodation and traditional solutions. The result: extensive co-operation between municipality and businesses, with input from trade unions.
Denmark's massive bid for youth employment and education
Fighting youth unemployment is a top priority in Denmark. A range of new measures are in place to get more young people into education.
Youth unemployment: Iceland fights on many fronts
Unemployment used to be a relatively unknown phenomenon in Iceland. But it skyrocketed with the 2008 financial collapse.
Iceland's 0utdated benefit system
The Icelandic Prime Minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, used her National Day speech to point out that most households were still struggling with the fallout of the 2008 economic collapse.
Italy's young hope to work before they're old
The path from higher education to a steady job is particularly painful in Italy. Many quit their studies or end up in long-term unemployment at the end of their studies. Teacher Francesca Seguela is happy to have a few hours of summer work after spending months unemployed.
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