Living and Working in Sweden Gisela Sarri EURES Adviser Västerås gisela.sarri@arbetsformedlingen.se

What is EURES? 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. 700 EURES advisers in Europe, 40 in Sweden. http://eures.europa.eu

Facts About Sweden Sweden is the third largest country in EU 25 and has 96 000 km coastline. 9,2 million inhabitants, 85% live in the southern parts. Sweden has been a member of EU since 1995. Member of Schengen Currency: Swedish Crown (SEK) 9.27 SEK = 1 € (March 2007) The region Mälardalen around Stockholm has 2.6 million inhabitants.

Facts About Sweden 10-12 bank holidays per year Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy More information: www.sweden.se King Carl XVI Gustaf is head of state, but royal power has long been limited to official and ceremonial functions.

Kiruna 21 Counties Umeå 20 inhabitants / km2 Stockholm 290 Municipalities Nordspets – sydspets = Malmö – Florens Statistiskt sett bor det 1 person/km2 i norra Sverige. Göteborg Malmö Ystad

Public Employment Services Service through: Internet www.arbetsformedlingen.se (24 hour service) by telephone via Customer Service Centres (7 day service) The Public Employment Office – “Arbetsförmedlingen” (over 300 offices)

Labour Market Situation - shortages - INDUSTRY Machine tool operators (NC/CNC) Welders Goods vehicle mechanics Sheet Metal Workers Car Body Repairers (panel work) Car Mechanics TRANSPORT Goods vehicle drivers (Spring 2008)

Labour Market Situation - shortages - BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION Electricians Plumbers (Ventilation and Sanitation) Construction Workers (painters, bricklayers, concrete workers, electricians) Sheet metal workers Engineers (Spring 2008)

Labour Market Situation - shortages - ENGINEERING Civil and graduate engineers: Construction Mechanics Electric IT Systems designers Programmers OTHER PROFESSIONS Qualified chefs (Spring 2008)

Labour Market Situation - shortages - HEALTHCARE Doctors Dentists Specialist Nurses Midwives TEACHING Pre-school teachers Teachers /Upper secondary school, vocational subjects (Spring 2008)

Working in Sweden Temporary or Permanent contracts Full time, 40 hours per week 25 days vacation per year (right to take 4 consecutive weeks holiday in the summer) No national minimum wage. Collective agreements in most occupations ensure fair wages. Minst 25 semesterdagar per år. T ex en statsanställd kan få upp till 35 dagar. Kollektivavtal - Dvs med undantag av en del högre tjänster – chefer, konsulter, IT mfl

Working in Sweden Average wage (2005): SEK 25,800 (men), SEK 21,500 (women) 76% of men and 73% of women aged 16-64 are in employment. Good child care facilities make this possible. Unemployment rate 6,1%, 15-74 (February 2008) Inflation rate 3,4% (March 2008) Nytt sätt att beräkna arbetslöshet fr o m januari 2007. Räknar ej obalans och konjunkturprogram.

A Typical Swedish Work Place “Flat” organisation You must be able to take initiatives and adapt to new situations. Swedish language skills English language skills ”Du” – first name basis Strong Trade union in most work places and in all fields of work. Any major changes in the organisation are always discussed in advance by the Union(s) and the employer. Närmare 80% är medlem i ett fackförbund (SCB 2005)

Applying for Work in Sweden E-mail is commonly used for applications. An application 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.

Taxes Social Insurance Council Tax between 26-34% State Tax 20% > 328 600 SEK 25% > 488 600 SEK (Skatteverket 2007) www.skatteverket.se www.rsv.se Sick benefits 80%, no benefits the first day www.fk.se Social Insurance Sverige näst högsta skatter efter Danmark.

Unemployment Benefits Are not a part of the Social Benefits scheme. Consists of two parts: Basic insurance (Alfakassan): For all workers after a qualifying period: No membership requirement, max 320 SEK/day Voluntary insurance: You must apply to become a member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund and pay contributions. After the qualification period, 80% of earlier income, max 680 SEK/day 300 days www.iaf.se För att erhålla maxbeloppet från a-kassan ska man ha tjänat 20 075 SEK/månad. De första 200 ersättningsdagarna: 
80% procent av tidigare inkomst (högst 680 kronor per ersättningsdag).Ersättningsdag 201-300: 
70% procent av tidigare inkomst (högst 680 kronor per dag).Därefter: 
65 procent av tidigare inkomst (högst 680 kronor per dag), utom för föräldrar som ersätttningsdag 300 har barn under 18 år. Dessa kan fortsätta på 70 procent (högst 680 kronor per dag), t.o.m. dag 450. Sänkningen till 70 procent påverkar ersättning som baseras på en månadsinkomst under 21 371 kronor. Sänkningen till 65 procent påverkar ersättning som baseras på en inkomst under 23 015 kronor i månaden. Arbetslöshetsersättningen är skattepliktig. If you have not been a member long enough, you can receive the Alfakassa If you have not worked long enough in Sweden you MAY be able to count working periods from another EU/EEA country

Cultural Differences Tend to avoid conflicts… Sweden “closes” for the summer Between April – September Swedes become sun worshippers Internet – VERY important in the Swedish society Vi undviker ofta konflikter och försöker så långt det går uppnå konsensus. I grupper och på arbetsplatser försöker man i det längsta att komma överens. Under sommaren stänger “allt”. Lite överdrivet men Sverige är ett litet land där alla arbetare har rätt till 4 sammanhängande semesterveckor. Det märks när man vill att myndigheter utför något – och försök bara få tag i en hantverkare då! Internet – mycket information från myndigheter mfl finns på Internet och man hänvisas ofta till hemsidor för mer information. Sverige är det hem-PC tätaste landet i Europa. Hänvisa till mer om Sverige och svenskarna på www.sweden.se

Accommodation Rent an apartment or house Buy an apartment Buy a house Example: 1 bedroom apartment, average rent 4,150 SEK/month (January 2006, www.scb.se) Buy an apartment Buy a house Accommodation costs vary greatly It is more expensive in the bigger cities than in towns and on the country side

Food Costs Loaf of bread 15-18 SEK Butter, 500 g 20 SEK Minced meat, 1 kg 50 SEK Hamburger 20 SEK Pizza 45-80 SEK Today’s Special 65-80 SEK Beer in a bar, 50 cl 50 SEK Glass of wine in a bar 55 SEK

Useful Web Addresses Finding a job www.arbetsformedlingen.se http://eures.europa.eu www.eniro.se www.onlinenewspapers.com/sweden.htm Applying for a job http://eures.europa.eu

Useful Web Addresses Population, Civic Registration and Taxes www.skatteverket.se Social Insurance www.fk.se Work and Residence permit and Right of residence card www.migrationsverket.se Swedish Embassies www.swedenabroad.com

Useful Web Addresses Living and Working Conditions http://eures.europa.eu www.sweden.se www.si.se The Swedish School system www.skolverket.se The National Health Board www.sos.se Recognition of Foreign Diplomas www.hsv.se

Thank You for Your Attention! (Gisela Sarri) EURES Adviser Västerås gisela.sarri@arbetsformedlingen.se