Living and Working in Sweden in 2010. A presentation given at the EURES European Job Days in Lisbon on the 21st of October.

1. Christofer Gasslander & Gloria Cunha Byström
EURES Advisers
Sweden
eures@arbetsformedlingen.se
Living and working in Sweden

2. • EURopean Employment Services
• A network of Public Employment Services and partners in the
EU/EEA and Switzerland,
• Objective: working to increase and facilitate international
mobility. EURES provides service to jobseekers and employers.
• More than 750 EURES advisers in Europe, 50 in Sweden.
• http://eures.europa.eu
What is EURES?

3. • Sweden is the third largest country in EU 25 and has
96 000 km coastline.
• 9.3 million inhabitants, 85% live in the southern parts.
• Sweden has been a member of EU since 1995.
• Currency: Swedish Crown (SEK) 10.50 SEK = 1 € (Feb 2010)
www.sweden.se
Facts about Sweden

4. KirunaKiruna
450.000
km2
450.000
km2
21 counties
290 municipalities
Ystad
Stockholm
Malmö
Göteborg
1574 km
20 inhabitants / km2
Kiruna
Umeå

5. Citizens Residence
right
Residence
card
Residence
permit
Work
permit
Nordic - - - -
EU/EEA* X
Family
members
X (X)
Swiss X
Non-EU, long-
term resident
X
Non-EU X
* workers, self-employed, students, ”sufficient funds”
Right to work in Sweden

6. • In Sweden we speak Swedish
• The Scandinavian languages are similar
– Swedish, Norwegian and Danish
• English skills are important in many professions
• Language skills in labour shortages and surpluses
Language skills

7. • 72,8 % of men and 66,4 % of women aged 15-74 are in
employment. Good child care facilities make this possible.
• Unemployment rate 8,2 %
Labour Market Statistics
December 2009

8. Labour market shortages
and surpluses
• Shortages: Specialists in health care, Pre-school teachers,
Teachers in vocational subjects, Engineers Electrical Power,
Sheet-metal workers in building and construction
• Surpluses: Day-care workers, receptionists, nursing
assistants, resource persons for students with special needs,
biologists, janitors, warehousemen, shop assistants,
preparatory cooks and restaurant cashiers

9. • Temporary or Permanent contracts
• 6 months probationary employment
• Full time, 40 hours per week
• 25 days vacation per year (right to take 4 consecutive weeks
holiday in the summer)
• Average wage: SEK 29,400 (men) SEK 24,700 (women)
• No national minimum wage. Collective agreements in
most occupations ensure fair wages.
Working in Sweden

10. • Public Employment Services
Platsbanken and
Söka jobb / Länkar www.arbetsformedlingen.se
• EURES www.eures.europa.eu
• Swedish newspapers
www.onlinenewspapers.com/sweden.htm
• Adecco www.adecco.se
• Lernia www.lernia.se
• Manpower www.manpower.se
• Proffice www.proffice.se
• Company websites
Find a job

11. Open application
www.gulasidorna.se
www.foretagsfakta.se
CV database
• www.arbetsformedlingen.se (Swedish)
• www.eures.europa.eu
Other ways to a job

12. • E-mail is frequently used and accepted.
• Applications should be typewritten in Swedish or English.
• Generally you do not enclose a photo.
• An application consists of:
- personal letter (no more than 1 page, often less)
- your CV (1-2 pages)
- References (can also be given at the interview)
• You may be asked to present evidence of professional
qualifications and diplomas later on.
• Recognition of foreign diplomas
Apply for a job in Sweden

13. Regulated professions – NARIC
The Swedish National
Agency for Higher Education www.hsv.se
Health care professions www.socialstyrelsen.se
NRP (Vocational
education and training) www.senrp.se
Recognition of foreign diplomas

14. Service through:
- Internet www.arbetsformedlingen.se (24 hour service)
- by telephone via Customer Service Centres (7 day service)
+46 (0) 771-416 416
- The Public Employment Office – “Arbetsförmedlingen” (over
300 offices)
Public Employment Services
When you are a resident in Sweden

15. • Council Tax between 26-34 %, average 31 %.
• State Tax + 20% of the income over 367 600 SEK
+ 25% of the income over 526 200 SEK
(per annum)
Example: 20 000 SEK net income of 15 471 SEK
30 000 SEK net income of 22 458 SEK
(per month)
Tax deductions includes social insurance and pension fees,
but not unemployment benefits.
www.skatteverket.se
Taxes

16. • Are not a part of the Social Benefits scheme.
• Consist of two parts:
1. Basic insurance (Alfakassan): For all workers after a
qualifying period: No membership requirement, max
320 SEK/day
2. Voluntary insurance: For members of an
Unemployment Insurance Fund. After the qualification
period, 80% of earlier income, max 680 SEK/day
• 300 days, 5 days per week. Tax will be deducted.
www.iaf.se
Unemployment benefits

17. Patient fee 100 – 300 SEK
Children (< age 12) free
Hospital fee (> age 20) max. 80 SEK/day
Medicine (prescriptions) max. 1 800 SEK/year
Sick pay/sickness benefit 80 % of the income*
21 – 682 SEK/day
First day = no pay
*income < 321 000 SEK/year
Health care and sickness benefits

18. Parental benefit:
390 days with 80 % of income (max. 910 SEK/day)
+ 90 days with 180 SEK/day to be shared equally between
both parents (apart from 60 days)
+ 10 days to the father of new-born baby
Temporary parental benefit:
60 days per child and year
Family benefits

19. • 1 child 1 050 SEK/month
• 2 children 2 200 SEK/month
• 3 children 3 604 SEK/month
• 4 children 5 514 SEK/month
Municipalities are obliged to provide childcare
to children aged 1 -12 years.
“Maxtaxa”
Child allowance and child care

20. www.skolverket.se
Pre-school
Age 1-5, volontary
Pre-school class
Age 6, 1 year
Compulsory school
Age 7-16, 9 years
Upper secondary
school
Age 16-20, 3 years
Universities and
university colleges
Age 18-
Advanced vocational
education (KY)
Age 18-Educational
system

21. • Rent an apartment or house
1 bedroom apartment, average rent 4,595 SEK/month,
68 m2
• “Buy” an apartment
• Buy a house
Accommodation costs vary greatly
Accommodation

22. Sweden Holland France Germany Norway
1 kg butter 4,72 5,09 6,60 5,13 7,37
1 l milk 0,77 0,79 1,03 0,95 1,49
1 kg cheese 8,27 8,40 12,23 9,85 10,82
1 kg chicken 3,22 4,27 3,58 4,96 7,65
1 kg roast beef 13,87 17,80 16,71 29,74 22,13
1 kg bread 2,35 1,48 4,36 1,78 3,05
1 kg potatoes 1,32 0,66 1,29 0,99 1,11
1 kg apples 2,47 1,38 2,38 2,48 3,08
1 kg coffee 5,15 5,53 6,27 8,53 9,35
Food costs (€)

23. • “Flat” organisations
• Team work
• You must be able to take initiatives and adapt to new
situations.
• ”Du” – first name basis – informality!
• Gender equality
• Strong Trade unions
A typical Swedish work place

24. • Fresh air, clean water, untouched wilderness, open
space – “Right of Public Access”
• Personnummer! 650604-6435
• “Fikapaus”
• Shoes off indoors
• “Systembolaget”
Sweden and Swedes

25. • Tend to avoid conflicts…
• Sweden “closes” for the summer
• Between April – September Swedes become sun
worshippers
• Internet – VERY important in the Swedish society
Sweden and Swedes

26. Brochure: Do you want to work in Sweden?
www.arbetsformedlingen.se under Other languages
Christofer Gasslander & Gloria Cunha
Byström
eures@arbetsformedlingen.se
Thank you for your attention!