Ivar Jönsson

EURES Adviser

International Employment Office

Sweden

Living and working in Sweden

Kiruna

450.

000

km

2

Ystad

Stockholm

Malmö

Göteborg

1600 km

Kiruna

Umeå

9.3 million inhabitants

20 inhabitants / km2

• Unemployment rate 7,8 % ( Sept 2010)

• Good child care facilities make high employment rate possible.

Retirement; 65 year

Currency: Swedish Crown (SEK) 9.25 SEK = 1 € (Oct 2010)

www.sweden.se

Some facts about Sweden

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. Cooks

• Surpluses: Day-care workers, Receptionists, Nursing assistants, Resource persons for students with special needs, Biologists, Janitors, Warehousemen, Shop assistants, Prep cooks and restaurant cashiers

• 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)

No national minimum wage. Collective agreements in most occupations ensure fair wages.

Working in Sweden

• Public Employment Services 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

Open applications www.gulasidorna.se www.foretagsfakta.se

Find a job

Other ways to a job

• 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)

Apply for a job in Sweden

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

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 ServicesWhen you are a resident in Sweden

without speaking Swedish…

…is it very difficult!

First step: LANGUAGE COURSE !

www.si.se

• Free courses: Swedish for immigrants

but…

Salaries some examples SEK per month (Gross) Average

Car mechanics 20 000 Med. Doctor 45 000

Welder 22 000 Nurse 24 000

Construction worker 25 000 Civ. Engineer 35 000

Cook 20 000 Preschool teacher 22 500

Shop assistant 20 000 Waiter/waitress 18 000

1 Euro = 9,25 SKR, 10 000 Skr = 1080 Euro

Gross Netto (SEK / Month) % Tax

15.000 12 070 19,420.000 15.650 20,725.000 19,230 23,030.000 22.680 24,440.000 27.990 30,050 000 32 660 34,6

Tax deductions includes social insurance and pension fees, but not unemployment benefits.

Taxes (2010)

• 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. Cost 150-300 SEK per month. 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

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*First day = no pay

Health care and sickness benefits

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

Child allowance and child care• 1 child; 1 050 SEK/month - 4 children 5 514

SEK/month• Municipalities are obliged to provide childcare to

children aged 1 -12 years.

Family benefits

• Rent an apartment or house

• “Buy” an apartment

• Buy a house

Accommodation costs vary greatly

Accommodation

• ”Du” – first name basis – informality!

• “Flat” organisations

• Team work

• You must be able to take initiatives and adapt to new situations.

• Gender equality

• Strong Trade unions

A typical Swedish work place

• Fresh air, clean water, untouched wilderness, open space – “Right of Public Access”

• Personnummer! 650604-6435

• “Fikapaus”

• Shoes off indoors

• “Systembolaget”

Sweden and Swedes

• Tend to avoid conflicts…

• Sweden “closes” for the summer

• Internet – VERY important in the Swedish society

Sweden and Swedes

Working in Sweden; Useful addresses

Thank you for your attention!