Christofer Gasslander & Gloria Cunha ByströmEURES AdvisersSwedeneures@arbetsformedlingen.se

Living and working in Sweden

• 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?

• Sweden is the third largest country in EU 25 and has96 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

KirunaKiruna

450.

000

km

2

450.

000

km

2

21 counties

290 municipalities

Ystad

Stockholm

Malmö

Göteborg

1574 km

20 inhabitants / km2

Kiruna

Umeå

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

• 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

• 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 StatisticsDecember 2009

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

• 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

• Public Employment ServicesPlatsbanken andSöka 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

Open applicationwww.gulasidorna.sewww.foretagsfakta.se

CV database• www.arbetsformedlingen.se (Swedish)• www.eures.europa.eu

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)

• You may be asked to present evidence of professional

qualifications and diplomas later on.

• Recognition of foreign diplomas

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

• 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 SEK30 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

• 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

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/dayFirst day = no pay

*income < 321 000 SEK/year

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

Temporary parental benefit:

60 days per child and year

Family benefits

• 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

www.skolverket.se

Pre-schoolAge 1-5, volontary

Pre-school classAge 6, 1 year

Compulsory schoolAge 7-16, 9 years

Upper secondary school

Age 16-20, 3 years

Universities and university colleges

Age 18-

Advanced vocationaleducation (KY)

Age 18-Educational system

• Rent an apartment or house1 bedroom apartment, average rent 4,595 SEK/month, 68 m2

• “Buy” an apartment

• Buy a house

Accommodation costs vary greatly

Accommodation

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 (€)

• “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

• 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

• Between April – September Swedes become sun worshippers

• Internet – VERY important in the Swedish society

Sweden and Swedes

Brochure: Do you want to work in Sweden?www.arbetsformedlingen.se under Other languages

Christofer Gasslander & Gloria Cunha Byströmeures@arbetsformedlingen.se

Thank you for your attention!