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Living and Working IN SWEDEN. Living and Working IN SWEDEN. Thomas Engel EURES Adviser Jönköping, Sweden thomas.engel@arbetsformedlingen.se. Facts about Sweden. Sweden is the third largest country in EU 9.3 million inhabitants, only 20 people/km2 85% live in the South
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Living and WorkingIN SWEDEN Living and WorkingIN SWEDEN Thomas Engel EURES Adviser Jönköping, Sweden thomas.engel@arbetsformedlingen.se
Facts about Sweden • Sweden is the third largest country in EU • 9.3 million inhabitants, only 20 people/km2 • 85% live in the South • Currency: Swedish Crown 100 SEK =10,91 Euro • (October 2011)
Kiruna Umeå 450.000 km2 1574 km Stockholm Göteborg Malmö
Famous Swedes • Stieg Larsson • Zlatan Ibrahimovic • Alfred Nobel • Astrid Lindgren • Ingemar Bergman • IKEA and H&M • Volvo and Saab
Language skills • Most jobs require fluent Swedish. • Some highly skilled jobs require only English. • Few jobs for low skilled workers with no Swedish.
Labour Market Statistics • Unemployment rate 7,3 % • Youth unemployment rate 23% • (August 2011)
Shortages • physicians • upper secondary school teachersin vocational subjects • surgical, psychiatric, radiologyand urgent care nurses • engineers: electric power • engineering officers: ships and ferries • certified pre-school teachers • metalworkers: construction
Surpluses • daycare workers • receptionists • nursing assistants • assistents for students withspecial needs • biologists • janitors • warehouse workers • shop assistants • low skilled restaurant personnel
Working in Sweden • 6 months “trial” employment • Full time, 40 hours per week • 25 days vacation per year • No national minimum wage • Collective agreements between unions and employers.
Public Employment Serviceswww.arbetsformedlingen.se • Many links to other major job websites. • EURES • http://www.eures.europa.eu/ • Swedish newspapers www.onlinenewspapers.com/sweden.htm Finding a job
Applying for a jobin Sweden • Applying via e-mail is common. • Applications should be typewritten in Swedish • or English. • An application consists of: • Cover letter (1 page) • CV (1-2 pages)
Recognition of foreign diplomas Regulated professions – NARIC The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education www.hsv.se
Income Tax • Municipal tax between 29-35 %, depending on where you live • Most people pay only municipal tax • State tax is paid on incomes above 383 000 SEK – 20% above 548 300 SEK – 25 % • www.skatteverket.se(2011)
Unemployment insurance • Is not a part of the Social Insurance scheme. • Basic insurance:No membership requirement, max 320 SEK/day • Voluntary insurance: For members of an unemployment insurance fund, max 680 SEK/day • 300 days, 5 days per week. Tax will be deducted. • (2011) • www.iaf.se
Housing • Rent an apartment or house (cooker, fridge and freezer included) • 1 bedroom apartment, average rent4,595 SEK/month, 68 m2(heat included) • Buy into a housing co-op • Buy a house • Accommodation costs vary greatly
Swedish work place culture • Flat organisations • Team work and consensus • ”Du” – first name basis – informality! • Gender equality • Strong trade unions
Sweden and Swedes • Coffee and coffee breaks • Shoes off indoors (in people’s homes) • Tend to avoid conflict • Light summer nights and dark winters
Tack! Thank you! Thomas Engel thomas.engel@arbetsformedlingen.se Brochure: Living and Working in Swedenwww.arbetsformedlingen.se under Other languages