In focus
Youth unemployment — light at the end of the tunnel?
Oct 14, 2014 The tide is turning. Starting this year, Europe’s working-age population is falling, but that does not solve the problem of youth unemployment. We went to North Sweden to see how a small municipality is dealing with the challenges. We have looked at apprenticeship systems in Norway, Denmark and Finland to see what works, and we met Finnish youths who have been given a new chance through the youth guarantee.
News
Finnish cases in EU Court of Justice could have Nordic consequences
Oct 14, 2014 Is the Finnish system of universally applicable collective agreements incompatible with the free movement of services? That is what an advocate-general at the Court of Justice of the European Union suggests in a fresh opinion. The case is only one out of three current ones which could have a major impact on the Nordic countries’ labour markets.
News
Stefan Löfven (S): Sweden will be a global role model
Oct 03, 2014 Prime Minister Löfven called his new government feminist as he presented it in parliament on Friday. It has 23 government ministers — 12 women and 11 men plus the Prime Minister — and is a coalition comprising the Social Democrats and the Green Party. Work was top of Löfven’s speech.
Editorial
Society’s watchdog in danger?
Sep 12, 2014 When journalists and spin doctors swap jobs, should we worry? If professional advisors and communications workers have more influence than politicians, is it a risk to democracy? When journalism becomes a victim to cuts, what happens to quality? And when there are two communicators for each journalist, what happens to society’s watchdog?
tema
Influential shadow people colour the political agenda
Sep 12, 2014 Today’s Swedish government minister is on average surrounded by eight to ten so-called policy professionals. They work as communicators or policy advisors and have great influence over which issues are confronted and driven forward, even though they work in silence and with unclear mandates. These are some of the results from a new research report due to be published in the spring of 2015.
tema
From journalist to spin doctor and back
Sep 12, 2014 Journalists becoming communications advisors, or in particular spin doctors to politicians, often say goodbye to journalism for good. But not always. Three former spin doctors tell us about their return to the media world. They all agree their time ‘on the opposite side of the table’ has made them better journalists.
tema
Finnish media jobs disappearing fast
Sep 12, 2014 For the first time ever there is a considerable problem of open unemployment among journalists in Finland. There is also substantial hidden numbers since many are working less than they would like or take on extra non-journalistic work in order to make ends meet.
tema
Working environments influence quality in the media
Sep 12, 2014 Investigative journalism and the media’s role in a democracy are the main arguments used by media companies when they ask for special treatment. There is a debate in all the Nordic countries over the media’s framework — should they be exempt from paying VAT and should digital media be subsidised?
Insight
Feminists, but also masculinists
Sep 12, 2014 The Nordic region has cooperated on gender equality for 40 years. It has been of great importance for equality’s progress and has improved the lives of Nordic citizens, said Eygló Harðardóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Equality during the anniversary celebrations in Iceland on 26 August. Where is the debate today? Is there a need for a new equality narrative?
In focus
Media in crisis - a challenge for democracy?
Sep 12, 2014 What happens when the number of communicators keeps growing, while the number of journalists falls and more and more people read news on social media? The Nordic Labour Journal has created its own analysis which explains what is happening.
News
Researchers: Employment has become more important than job content
Sep 10, 2014 Working life has been on the agenda during the Swedish general election campaign, and especially unemployment. More jobs are needed. Yet visions for the content of those jobs have not figured politically — an inconsistency highlighted by a group of researchers at a recent meeting in Stockholm.
News
OECD: Wage cuts will not create jobs
Sep 03, 2014 Industrialised countries have reached the limit for how much wages can be cut. Since the start of the economic crisis, wages have fallen in real terms for half of all employees in OECD countries. Further cuts could be counter-productive and damage growth.
tema
Sea-based Icelandic cluster worth its salt and then some
Jun 17, 2014 The business cluster Íslenski sjávarklasinn or Ocean Cluster in Reykjavik is a cooperation between innovation companies and Iceland’s fisheries which has been running for two years. Foreign visitors are showing great interest. Other countries are very likely to set up similar centres in the future.
In focus
Iceland back on an even keel
Jun 17, 2014 Iceland is bouncing back after the hard years following the 2008 crisis. We tell the story of what happened that day, how Icelanders joined forces to stop anyone from going hungry and to stop youths from becoming social outsiders. Now unemployment is falling nearly as fast as it rose. As the economy improves Icelanders want a better life; more pay and more gender equality.
Editorial
Look to Iceland
Jun 17, 2014 “Look how well the Icelanders have recovered from the crisis, “ says Christian Kastrop, Director at the OECD. And we will; our theme this time is Iceland’s transformation since the crisis hit in 2008. We also follow the report on the Nordic model, first launched in Reykjavik, to the OECD’s Paris headquarters.
tema
Unemployment soon back to normal after eruptive increase
Jun 17, 2014 Anyone who’s stood frozen-fingered waiting for the Icelandic Strokkur geysir to erupt with its boiling water can imagine what it felt like at Iceland’s Directorate of Labour when unemployment figures started emerging after the 2008 crisis.
tema