Swedish workforce hits record heights

Published: 18th October 2007 12:26 CET
Online: www.thelocal.se/8830/20071018

The Swedish labour force spent more hours at work than ever before in September. With 151 million hours per week spent in the workplace, the figures for September were 2.5 percent higher than the same period last year.

The number of hours worked is the highest since records began in 1963, according to Statistics Sweden, a record that can be partly explained by simple population growth.

But increased job creation and falling unemployment have also led to a marked rise in the number of hours worked, as has the fact that September is traditionally a month in which people don't take holidays.

Moreover, fewer people than before are taking sick leave following a recent clampdown from social welfare authorities.

Unemployment continued to fall in September , with 195,000 people, or 4.2 percent of the workforce, registered as openly unemployed. This constituted a considerable drop on last year's figures, when 225,000 people (4.9 percent) were classified as openly unemployed.