News
SCB has surveyed the unemployed for 50 years
Oct 12, 2011 There are 4.5 million people in employment in Sweden - one million more than 50 years ago. That is one conclusion to be drawn from Statistics Sweden’s (SCB) monthly labour market figures delivered over the past 50 years. SCB’s labour surveys, known as AKU, have helped politicians, economists, journalists and other decision makers to get to know the state, development and dynamics of Sweden’s labour market.
News
Helle Thorning-Schmidt: Danes must work more
Oct 06, 2011 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.
Comments
Editorial: Equality means sustainability
Sep 07, 2011 Economic crisis, political earthquakes and unprecedented terror in the midst of the Nordic region. It has all impacted the Nordic countries. “Crisis test the strength of the Nordic welfare models” is this month’s Theme. One important question pops up: must the welfare models be adapted to avoid growing differences within the countries?
Portrait
Iceland’s Gudbjartur Hannesson puts people’s welfare first during the crisis
Sep 07, 2011 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.
tema
Welfare model put to the test
Sep 07, 2011 The Nordic countries worked their way through the 2008 financial crisis. The welfare model largely shared by the five countries proved effective. Now the world economy is on shaky ground yet again. Can the Nordic model still be a third way between the more brutal Anglo-Saxon model and the lack of state financial control seen in many Mediterranean countries?
tema
Equality driver of Iceland’s success
Sep 07, 2011 Higher taxes for those who have the most, protection of the poor and debt relief to businesses and households - all part of the recipe to get a bankrupt state back on track according to the Icelandic experience. You also need a proper post-party tidy-up, get the economy in balance and prevent criminal activity from repeating itself.
tema
Populists govern in opposition
Sep 07, 2011 Support for Finland’s populist True Finns Party has grown after the spring parliamentary elections. It means the new government is forced to take into account the factors behind the party’s growth, and first and foremost their demand for more expansive social policies to support the weakest in society.
Insight
Riots highlight Manchester’s unemployed underclass
Sep 07, 2011 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.
News
Norwegian government to tackle involuntary part-time work
Sep 07, 2011 “Involuntary part-time work is a serious problem both for individuals and for society as a whole. It is the government’s goal to reduce involuntary part-time work and to make sure those who wish can get full-time employment,” says Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm.
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The ten most serious border obstacles
Jun 17, 2011 Border obstacles are not only things that make it difficult for Nordic citizens to settle down and work in a different Nordic country from their own. They are also problems which arise when you move back home, when you fall ill or when you need to draw your pension. NLJ and the Freedom of Movement Forum have drawn up a list of the ten most important border obstacles for working life.
Portrait
TCO's Eva Nordmark: unions must be relevant to our time
Jun 16, 2011 "The union's role is to be relevant in today's working life, which is considerably different from the time when my parents started working. Yet the basic values remain the same. As always the union is about the dream of freedom, development and having the chance to live a good life," says Eva Nordmark, newly elected chairperson for TCO.
Comments
Editorial: Language - a source for joint understanding
May 10, 2011 "Have you heard your employer use the word 'safety' and do you know what that word means?" asks the language teacher at Vestegnen's Language and Competence Centre south of Copenhagen. The quote touches on the depth of the challenges posed by not understanding a language.
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