Criticism Mounts as Unemployment Rises Among Academics in Sweden
Mounting criticism arises as Sweden faces rising unemployment, especially among academics and young graduates.
- • Unemployment in Sweden rose 0.3 percentage points in the second quarter from last year.
- • 17% increase in unemployment among academics and 55% rise since two years ago.
- • Shekarabi calls for more government initiatives and criticizes focus on political disputes.
- • Government's proposal to raise salary requirements for work permits may be halted.
Key details
Unemployment in Sweden has seen a concerning rise, increasing by 0.3 percentage points compared to last year during the second quarter, as reported by Statistics Sweden (SCB). This uptick has drawn sharp criticism from Ardalan Shekarabi, the Social Democrats' spokesperson, who has described the situation as serious and called for more robust government initiatives to tackle this challenge. "It is a significant failure. We are among the EU countries with the highest unemployment rates, yet there are no political initiatives in sight," said Shekarabi.
Particularly alarming is the 17% rise in unemployment among academics from July last year to July this year, marking a staggering 55% increase over the past two years. Shekarabi emphasized that young university graduates, previously considered well-integrated into the labor market, are now encountering significant difficulties in securing jobs. He stressed the need for focused investments in education and better employment services that connect job seekers with companies.
On the policy front, the government had proposed increasing salary requirements for work permits, but Minister Johan Britz is now considering halting these plans, leading to tensions within the Tidö Agreement. Shekarabi criticized the government's focus on disputes with the Sweden Democrats instead of prioritizing unemployment issues, advocating instead for a needs assessment approach for labor. "If there is a need for labor, we should bring in labor. This has been our position for a long time," he stated, indicating a clear divergence in handling the labor market crisis.