Lack of Swedish workers in Norway
Fewer Swedes choose to work in Norway since the border restrictions were eased. The hospitality industry and healthcare are among the industries affected.
Many kitchens struggle to hire chefs because Swedish workers have chosen not to return now that most pandemic restrictions have been lifted. The hospitals are also fighting for support staff.
A relatively common language and the opportunity to earn a Norwegian salary while enjoying a Swedish cost of living is an attractive alternative for many young Swedes.
So much so that Swedish workers used to be a common sight in restaurants and bars in and around Oslo and other parts of Norway within easy reach of the border between Norway and Sweden.
Or at least, they were until pandemic restrictions closed the border. But despite the fact that some border controls have been lifted, the Swedes have not yet returned.
Problems at the border
The popular winter resort of Trysil is short with up to 20 chefs ahead of its high season.
– It is a very frustrating situation. We have guests knocking on the door, but no one can work. We do not have enough people, says Trysil’s CEO Bjarte Wigdel to NRK. He has been forced to cut opening hours at a restaurant due to staff shortages.
The pandemic affects mobility habits
Trysil is very close to the border between Norway and Sweden. Many other companies near the border rely as much, if not more, on Swedish labor as Norwegian.
Read more: The service wage scandal in Oslo
Hotel manager Anne Brodin Söderström said that the long-term uncertainty surrounding the border rules has made it much more difficult to attract Swedes. While the return of Swedish tourism has been slow, the return of Swedish employees has been slower.
– For us near the border, Swedish labor is as important as Norwegian. But the closed borders made working conditions very difficult “, she told NRK and added that she expected the trend to continue.
A problem in healthcare
Swedish news service SVT first took up the story and reported that the Norwegian healthcare system is also struggling to attract Swedish workers. The management at Kongsvinger Hospital says that the number of Swedes applying for temporary positions has decreased significantly.
– According to several employers SVT spoke to, interest in jobs in the neighboring country has cooled considerably, the SVT report states.
Border uncertainty
For several months now, vaccinated Swedes have been free to cross the border by presenting a valid EU coronavirus certificate. Non-vaccinated Swedes can enter without quarantine as long as their region in Sweden is not classified as red.
Read more: Norway Travel Restrictions
However, Swedes still seem to be less interested in job opportunities in Norway than before the pandemic.
Trond Erik Grundt is the CEO of Border service, a joint initiative between Norway and Sweden to provide information to frontier workers. He told NRK that the trouble under Covid has deterred people, but that there are also other problems.
He said that Swedish workers experience a “us and them” mentality and feel discriminated against, which is something that “can not be repaired overnight.”
Norsk Næringsliv (NHO) also expressed its concern about the Swedish labor shortage.