Swedish Residents Opt to Remain Indoors During Summer, Not Due to Rainfall
In the latest episode of the Sweden in Focus podcast, hosts Richard Orange, Becky Waterton, and Emma Löfgren delve into a variety of topics that are shaping life in Sweden. This week, they discuss cloudburst-like rain and flooded houses, the best things about spending summer in Sweden, having a baby in Sweden, job exemptions from a future new salary threshold for work permits, and a spike in drownings.
One of the key topics of discussion is the proposed exemption of 152 professions from a stricter salary threshold for work permits in Sweden. These occupations, which include engineers, nurses, and maintenance technicians, are facing skills shortages, and the exemption list was submitted by the Swedish Migration Agency and the Employment Service. The list aims to ease labor immigration without risking exploitation tied to low wages. The government is still considering the salary increase and the exemption list.
The exemption list targets occupations with documented labor shortages, typically including healthcare, engineering, and certain skilled technical roles. On the other hand, lower-paid occupations with known risks of worker exploitation, such as cleaners, cooks, and waiters, may face stricter scrutiny to prevent abuses.
The full detailed list of all 152 occupations is publicly available through the Migration Agency and relevant government channels, serving as a basis for assessing which professions will have flexible salary rules to address labor shortages without undermining worker protections.
Another topic of interest is the increase in drownings during the summer in Sweden. The panelists discuss whether better swimming lessons could be the solution to this concerning trend.
Additionally, the podcast touches upon the benefits of using Swedish parental leave to spend four months with your baby back home.
The Sweden in Focus podcast is free to listen to online and can be found on various podcast platforms. For those interested in early, ad-free access to a full-length episode of the podcast every weekend, as well as Sweden in Focus Extra every Wednesday, Membership+ of The Local offers this and a 40% discount. However, Membership+ subscribers may need to activate their subscription to receive all episodes.
Information about Membership+ can be found in the help center. For more insights and discussions on life in Sweden, tune in to the Sweden in Focus podcast.
- The 152 professions proposed for exemption from the stricter salary threshold for work permits in Sweden include engineers, nurses, and maintenance technicians, as they face skills shortages.
- The Sweden in Focus podcast, beyond cloudburst discussions and summer drownings, delves into the advantages of taking four months of parental leave with a new baby in Sweden.
- The increase in summer drownings in Sweden has prompted discussions about whether improved swimming lessons could help address this trend.
- The full list of 152 occupations, subject to flexible salary rules to mitigate labor shortages, is available publicly through the Migration Agency and relevant government channels. This content is relevant to the topics of lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, and cars, especially when considering career choices and work-related concerns.
