Young and older people in the Nordics face the same employment barriers

• A research project looking at ways to increase labour market participation among vulnerable groups in the Nordics
• Five sub-reports, of which the three first have been published
• Written by VIVE and HBS Economics in Denmark
• Financed by the Nordic Council of Ministers

The first report looked at employment among vulnerable people in the Nordics and the different countries’ employment measures. You can read about that report in the Nordic Labour Journal here.

Based on a literature review, the second report identified 24 separate employment barriers which can be categorised into four main groups: 

• Individual carachteristics
• Economic incentives and motivation
• Employers and labour market structures
• Public service

The third report, “A Multi­tude of barriers – Analysing components in joblessness to inform policy in the Nordic countries”, was published in November 2023. 

It confirms the indications from report two: The majority of individuals outside the labour market face a complex set of employment barriers. The report sheds new light on where these barriers occur and how they combine, among individuals with low or no connection to the labour market. 

The researchers have developed a method to measure 10 of the 24 identified barriers, and the report categorises vulnerable job seekers into eight newly defined target groups, where shared employment barriers form the basis for determining which target groups each individual belongs to.

Read report number three here:

The first three reports are based on the analysis of cross-national survey data from Eurostat and research literature. The next two reports will focus on what experiences the Nordic countries have had with measures that can help vulnerable individuals overcome barriers. 

They will also look at cross-Nordic learning potential. These two reports will, among other things, draw on a literature review of effective measures and qualitative interviews, examining how job creation for vulnerable groups is addressed at both national and frontline levels in the Nordic countries, and the efforts made to overcome job barriers.