Supply Of Labour In The Nordic Countries

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2021-050/ Nordic countries have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has taken a substantial toll on economic growth and employment level. Immigrants may have been disproportionately affected, even though Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden already face serious challenges in integrating immigrants into their labour markets for several years. This report aims to make a contribution to further research into the consequences of the pandemic.

This report sums up the developments in labour migration from the member countries to the Nordic Region since EU enlargement in 2004, the consequences for the labour markets in both the Nordic Region and in the countries of origin, the main features of the political initiatives and adaptation strategies adopted by the Nordic countries, and the most important challenges that the Nordic countries will face in this area in the future. The report points out that Western Europe and the Nordic Region have experienced significant and increasing mobility of labour from the new member countries since 1 May 2004. It concludes that greater mobility, particularly from Poland and the Baltic countries, has been a contributory factor to higher growth and lower inflation in the Nordic countries than would otherwise have been possible in a period of prolonged economic prosperity and increasing labour shortages. It also states that the challenges in the Nordic countries have primarily been associated with the growth in in-service mobility and postings away from home. In addition, the report confirms quite significant emigration of workers from Poland and the Baltic countries since 2004, which has led to shortages of labour in those countries. It concludes that even though employment levels have risen significantly, especially in the Baltic countries, the main challenge for these countries will continue to be how to further increase domestic employment levels. This report constitutes the final product of the expert group on EU expansion set up by EK-A in 2004, the mandate for which expired on 1 December 2007.

The large influx of migrants to Nordic countries in recent years is challenging the adoptability of Nordic labor market institutions while also adding to potential growth. This paper examines the trends, economic drivers, and labor market implications of migration to Nordic countries with a particular focus on economic migration as distinct from the recent large flows of asylum seekers. Our analysis finds that migration inflows to the Nordics are influenced by both cyclical and structural factors. Although migration helpfully dampens overheating pressures during periods of strong demand, and over the longer term will cushion the decline in labor supply from population aging, in the near-term unemployment can rise, especially among the young and lower-skilled. The analysis highlights the need to adapt Nordic labor market institutions in a manner that better facilitates the integration of migrants into employment. In particular, greater wage flexibility at the firm level and continued strong active labor market measures will help improve labor market outcomes among immigrants.

This report presents a preliminary knowledge status about implications of the sharing economy for labour markets and employment relations in the Nordic countries. It also reviews how the Nordic countries and their social partners approach the sharing economy and issues relating, amongst other, to its legality, regulation, taxation, and terms of competition. There is so far scant supply of statistics, data and research in this field. The employment potentials and consequences of the sharing economy will, amongst other, depend on the governments’ and the organized actors’ responses to these challenges. Currently, all the actors seem to be in a phase of knowledge gathering and deliberation of possible policy options, cautiously avoiding taking steps that might obstruct the development of the sharing economy.

En sammenlignende undersøgelse af hvordan arbejdsløshedsforsikringerne for lavtuddannet arbejdskraft siden 1990 har ændret sig i de nordiske lande i takt med ændrede arbejdsmarkeder

Abstract: The labour supply of low-skilled - incentives in the unemployment insurance systems. A comparative description based on Nordic countriesIn this report we describe and discuss the changing character of unemployment insurance (UI) systems in the Nordic countries in relation to the changing labour market situation of low skilled adults, from around 1990 and onwards. The focus is on how different characteristics of the national UI systems - and particularly the changes in these systems - may have affected the labour market position of low skilled by affecting their work incentives. This report has two main purposes: First, to construct a descriptive empirical basis for a discussion regarding the relationship between the design of the unemployment benefit system and the labour market performance of low-skilled compared to higher-skilled workers. The second purpose is to lay the foundation for a more systematic econometric analysis regarding the influence of the unemployment insurance systems on the labour market performance of low skilled - compared to high skilled workers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland