Living and working in Sweden
description
Transcript of Living and working in Sweden
Ivar Jönsson
EURES Adviser
International Employment Office
Sweden
Living and working in Sweden
Kiruna
450.0
00 k
m2
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 SEKChildren (< age 12) freeHospital fee (> age 20) max. 80 SEK/dayMedicine (prescriptions) max. 1 800 SEK/yearSick 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!