In Focus
Sick leave in Finland: municipalities on the right track
Many Finish municipalities have managed to turn the trend of ever increasing levels of sick leave. As the country's largest municipal employer, the City of Helsinki is developing ways of helping people on long-term sick leave to get back to work.
The constant hunt for ways to limit sick leave
Levels of sick leave vary a lot between the different Nordic countries, yet it seems it gets harder and harder to qualify for sickness benefit - whether the level of sick leave rises or falls. There is no agreement among researchers on what really lies behind these variations, nor on what policies actually work.
Towards a common EU integration policy
Integration policy is a national responsibility within the EU, but the Swedish presidency has made an effort to make it easier to compare just how well member states integrate new arrivals.
Immigration amplifies differences between Nordic countries
One of the things separating the Nordic countries from each other is what immigrant groups they have attracted, and how long they have stayed. Compared to many other European countries though, they have something in common: the refugee percentage is high.
Helping new arrivals realise their dreams
"I have been thinking lately that I have experience many others lack, which allows me some degree of authority to speak on what works and what doesn't when it comes to integration policy," says Nyamko Sabuni, Sweden's Minister for Integration and Gender Equality.
Immigration policy change: from humanism to pragmatism
The term refugee could be disappearing. People are deemed immigrants and allowed in if a country feels they could be useful. Current demography dictates a stimulation of labour immigration, while asylum policies are being tightened. Europe's migration policy is changing shape.
Holding on to the foreign workers
More and more Danish companies are increasing their drive to recruit foreign workers. Wind turbine producer Vestas has experienced the importance of creating a social network for foreign workers, and how important it is to help their spouses to find work too.
Labour ministers up the fight to prevent a lost generation
How do you fight youth unemployment? That was the theme when Nordic labour ministers met in Reykjavik in November. One in five European youths is unemployed. There is fear of a lost generation. The Nordic countries focus on education and help on an individual level to help young people into working life.
Not only green, but good
The Nordic countries and their companies will try to present themselves as environmentally friendly as possible during the Copenhagen Climate Summit. But what does it mean to be green? As huge investments are made in renewable energy, it’s important that other values are not sacrificed.
Copenhagen turning green
Copenhagen is aiming to turn into a green capital for business ahead of the UN climate change conference it will host in December.
Finland hopes for green jobs too
Finland has long made a living from its "green gold" - the forests - even though its pulp mills and paper production plants hardly can be called environmentally friendly.
Tomra – safe and green
The global production of bottles, cans and other drink containers tops 800 billion. Half of them end up on landfills. Recycling all this would save large amounts of energy, and cut CO2 emissions.
Norwegian Point Carbon has its finger on the pulse of emission trading
A smiling Barack Obama adorns Per Otto Wold's office coffee mug. Mr Wold is CEO at Point Carbon, a Norwegian provider of news, analysis and consulting services for the global power, gas and carbon markets. President Obama doesn't sit on his desktop by chance. The American President is on everybody's mind here.
From dirty workshop to shiny wind power factory
A group of Fredrikshamn machine assemblers and electricians are about to finish their education. They'll leave the vocational training institute in South Kymmenedalen just before Christmas, and start work with Winwind in a new factory near the docks, making wind turbines. They are specially trained to be ready when one of Finland's future industries is really getting off the ground.
Fresh cooperation creates new youth jobs
In the Swedish city of Västerås, businesses, higher education and the public sector are used to working together in the labour market. Now this cross-sector cooperation is about to benefit unemployed youth, through a project aimed at offering jobs and training to 1,000 young people without work.
Downturn hits youth hardest - Sweden takes undesirable lead
An economic downturn often hits young people fastest and hardest. The current crisis is no exception. The Nordic countries usually boast some of Europe's lowest unemployment figures. Now 27.3 percent of Swedish 15 to 24 year-olds are out of work.
Finland's new Aalto University: the entrepreneur factory
Finland's new Aalto University brings together young people who want to be entrepreneurs. Their backgrounds range from technology and economics to design. The exchange of ideas here can create a platform for a new company culture in Finland.
From outsider to employed
Morten Skov Nielsen got a job and lots of self-confidence - and he's growing with the task. ”It's much better than I'd thought”, says 24-year-old Morten Skov Nielsen.
Social entrepreneurs fighting for outsiders
At Stockholm's “Fryshuset” (the Cold Store) a 25-year-old social entrepreneurship is turning the destructive forces which often plague social outsiders to positive forces and insider status. New methods grow to meet new demands. The aim is to catch youth at risk of falling outside of society, to recognise their potential and believe in their power so that they could stay in school and later enter working life.
Employing the last unemployed
Out of a total of 25 million people in the five Nordic countries, there are now only 422,000 unemployed. April saw the Norwegian unemployment rate plummet to 1.6 per cent. Denmark is close with 1.9 per cent. The numbers for Iceland and Sweden are somewhat higher, with 2.3 and 3.2 per cent. Finland has 6.8 per cent.
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