Hiring of Flexible and Fixed-term Workers in Five Norwegian and Swedish Industries

Analyzing how and why employers use fixed-term contracts or alternative forms of flexible, shortterm labor in five labor-intensive industries in Norway and Sweden, the main research question in this article is how employer hiring of temporary labor is affected by differences in national employment regulations and industries. Regarding employer motives, we find strong and similar inter-industry differences across the two countries, while the share of fixed-term employees is generally higher in Sweden than in Norway where regulations are stricter. Further, employers’ hiring of fixed-term labor is contingent on their access to alternative sources of flexible labor when faced with shifting demand, need for substitutes, or complex shift plans. The mix of fixed-term labor, agency workers, and use of extra part-time work also varies across industries, depending on the pattern of production, work organization, and workforce gender profile

Labour and Business Migration After EU Enlargement: Changes in Forms of Regulation and Corporate Labor Strategies, 2006

The opening of markets for labor, services, capital and goods between high-and low-cost countries in Europe creates new conditions for action for businesses and workers in both the old and new EU / EEA countries. Cross-border changes in patterns of corporate and labor mobility affects the adaptation and regulation of product and labor markets in many industries and places players in the labor market and the government faces new strategic decisions relating to recruitment, inclusion / exclusion issues and the regulation of wages and working conditions. Survey conducted by Fafo the first half of 2006 on the use of labor from the new EU countries among all firms in the construction business, five industries, hotels and restaurants and cleaning services. The sample consists of firms that emply Eastern European labor, as well as a control group of non-users who responded to a shorter survey

Mobility of labour from new EU states to the Nordic Region : – Development trends and consequences

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

Nordic labour markets and the sharing economy : – Report from a pilot project

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

The Future of Work in the Nordic countries : Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Working Life Models

Major changes in technology, economic contexts, workforces and the institutions of work have ebbed and flowed since well before the first industrial revolution in the 18th century. However, many argue that the changes we are currently facing are different, and that the rise of digitalized production will entirely transform our ways and views of working. In this collaborative project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, researchers from the five Nordic countries have studied how the ongoing transformations of production and labour markets associated with digitalization, demographic change and new forms of employment will influence the future of work in the Nordic countries.

Arbeidsmobilitet fra de nye EU-landene til Norden - utviklingstrekk og konsekvenser : Sluttrapport fra en nordisk arbejdsgruppe under Nordisk Ministerråd

A Finnish and English summary is included in the report. A full version in English will be available soon. Denne rapport opsummerer udviklingen i arbejdsmobiliteten fra de nye EU-lande til Norden siden EU-udvidelsen i 2004, konsekvenserne for arbejds-markederne i Norden og afsender-landene, hovedtrækkene ved de politiske tiltag og tilpasningsstrategier de nordiske lande har gennemført, og de vigtigste udfordringer de nordiske lande står over for på dette felt i tiden fremover. I rapporten peges der på, at Vesteuropa og Norden har oplevet betydelig og øgende arbejdsmobilitet fra de nye medlemslande siden 1. maj 2004. Det konkluderes, at den forøgede arbejdsmobilitet fra især Polen og de baltiske lande har medvirket til højere vækst og lavere inflation i de nordiske lande, end det ellers havde været muligt i en periode med langvarig højkonjunktur og forøget mangel på arbejdskraft i Norden. Det vurderes, at udfordringerne i de nordiske lande primært har været knyttet til væksten i tjenestemobilitet og udstationering. Rapporten viser endvidere, at arbejdsudvandringen fra Polen og de baltiske lande siden 2004 har været kraftig og har medført mangel på arbejdskraft i disse lande. Det vurderes, at selv om erhvervsdeltagel-sen har vokset betydeligt, især i de baltiske lande, vil hovedudfordringen for disse lande fremover være at øge den hjemlige erhvervsdeltagelse yderligere. Rapporten udgør det sidste produkt fra Kontaktgruppen vedrørende EU-udvidelsen, som blev nedsat af EK-A i 2004, og hvis mandat ophørte den 1. december 2007

Arbeids- og tjenestemobilitet etter EU-utvidelsen : Nordiske forskjeller og fellestrekk

1. mai 2004 ble Estland, Latvia, Litauen, Polen, Ungarn, Tsjekkia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Kypros og Malta medlemmer i EU og dermed i EØS. Dette innledet en ny fase i moderne europeisk historie, og skapte store forventninger og spenning også i de nordiske landene. Formålet med denne rapporten er å gi en sammenliknende oversikt over og drøfting av: utviklingen i arbeids - og tjenestemobiliteten fra de nye EU-landene i Øst-Europa til Norden siden 1. mai 2004, samt mulige konsekvenser for de nordiske arbeidsmarkedene, de viktigste tiltakene de nordiske landene har iverksatt for å regulere, kontrollere og håndheve vilkårene for arbeids- og tjenestemobilitet fra de nye EU-landene, samt foreløpige erfaringer med disse tiltakene, årsaker til den nordiske variasjonen i omfanget og karakteren av arbeids -og tjeneste­mobilitet fra de nye medlemslandene, samt behovet for nordisk kunnskap, erfaringsutveksling og videre forskning på feltet. Rapporten er laget på grunnlag av samarbeidet i en kontaktgruppe nedsatt av Arbeidsmarkedsutskottet under Nordisk Ministerråd, og er utarbeidet av Jon Erik Dølvik og Line Eldring ved Fafo som har koordinert arbeidet