Overall, the government’s proposal is expected to increase spending in the area of the labor market by SEK 3.8 billion over the next year. Among other things, SEK 450 million is being invested in enhanced professional development and more internships.
“Internships provide work experience that can help break the passivity of job seekers and improve their job chances,” the government writes in the budget.
Already earlier, the government has also announced that the temporarily increased compensation levels for the unemployment insurance fund that were introduced during the pandemic should continue to apply, an investment of SEK 5.8 billion.
At the same time, reductions of SEK 1.5 billion are being made on labor market policy programs, that is, the Employment Service’s program that should make it easier for jobseekers to get a job. Something Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson explains, among other things, by the fact that the Employment Agency previously did not have time to dispose of all the money and therefore sent back several unused billions.
LO believes that overall the budget contains far too few proposals against unemployment.
“Unemployment is still high while employers are still crying out for labour. We know how it can be solved. With the right kind of education. But we can’t even find the word labor market education in the budget,” says chairperson Susanna Gideonsson in a press release.