The demand for cleaning services in the home has decreased drastically, according to figures from the Swedish Tax Agency.
A development that worries the cleaning industry, which gets many is a first step into the job market.
Home cleaning is the most used so-called household-related service, or rut service, in Sweden. However, in recent times its use has declined dramatically.
From the peak in May last year, when 379,000 used Rut, the number has halved, to just under 190,000 in September, according to statistics from the Tax Agency.
Reduced household cash for many
According to Jessica Forss Katz, economic policy expert Almega Hemserviceföretagen, the reduction is due to the fact that more and more people have less money left in their wallets today.
– We are in a recession, we have high inflation, although it is on the way down, and households are facing increased interest costs, so of course this is reflected in our industry, she says.
– So what we see is that the number of new customers is decreasing, unfortunately, but also that existing customers are canceling their subscriptions.
Now the cleaning companies are worried about the development, which Torkel Kristoffers, CEO of Vardagsfrid, believes is hitting an industry that for many is a way into the job market.
– 95 percent of our colleagues get their first job with Vardagsfrid in Sweden and you go from a subsidy environment to a work environment. So the gate that opens up a working career is hugely important as a first step, he says.