Living and Working in Sweden

En presentation över ämnet: "Living and Working in Sweden"— Presentationens avskrift:

1 Living and Working in Sweden
Gisela Sarri EURES Adviser Västerås

2 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.

3 Facts About Sweden Sweden is the third largest country in EU 25 and has 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.

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

5 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

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

7 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)

8 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)

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

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

11 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

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

13 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)

14 Applying for Work in Sweden
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.

15 Taxes Social Insurance
Council Tax between 26-34% State Tax 20% > SEK 25% > SEK (Skatteverket 2007) Sick benefits 80%, no benefits the first day Social Insurance Sverige näst högsta skatter efter Danmark.

16 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 För att erhålla maxbeloppet från a-kassan ska man ha tjänat SEK/månad. De första 200 ersättningsdagarna: 
80% procent av tidigare inkomst (högst 680 kronor per ersättningsdag).Ersättningsdag : 
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 kronor. Sänkningen till 65 procent påverkar ersättning som baseras på en inkomst under 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

17 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

18 Accommodation Rent an apartment or house Buy an apartment Buy a house
Example: 1 bedroom apartment, average rent 4,150 SEK/month (January 2006, 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

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

20 Useful Web Addresses Finding a job
Applying for a job

21 Useful Web Addresses Population, Civic Registration and Taxes
Social Insurance Work and Residence permit and Right of residence card Swedish Embassies

22 Useful Web Addresses Living and Working Conditions The Swedish School system The National Health Board Recognition of Foreign Diplomas

23 Thank You for Your Attention!
(Gisela Sarri) EURES Adviser Västerås