Are you worried about losing your job in 2009?

As a wave of layoffs descends on Sweden, we ask whether The Local's regular panelists are concerned about finding themselves unemployed.

• 18,000 layoffs in December (5 Jan 09)
• Swedish firms planning large layoffs in 2009 (4 Jan 09)
• Swedish jobs moving abroad (2 Jan 09)

Carina Silfverduk

I am not very worried about losing my job in 2009. I work as a software developer for an IT and consulting firm in Malmö. But the thought does linger in the back of my mind as my company has done a few things to cut costs.

Of course, I know better than most how quickly things like this can change. I've worked at several companies that merged with others and downsized in the States, and several other companies that went belly up just when it seemed like things were going very well.

I usually have a sense of where a company is going based on how organized and goal-oriented they are. My sense of my company at this time is exactly that. My company is financially stable and the product I am working on is a solid product that is in demand.

The best things for a person to have during challenging economic times are the right skills and experience to be able to obtain another job should you lose the one you have. My job in particular is pretty safe from layoffs considering the body of experience and education it requires.




Nabeel Shehzad

80% no and 20% yes.

Since I am working in a US-based company which is currently doing good business all around the globe, the ongoing crisis hasn’t affected the firm. But the fear of losing my job still exists, as I guess it does for most people working in Sweden because this credit crunch is getting deeper and deeper and is showing no signs of ending.

Psychologically speaking, unless we start getting positive news in the newspaper about the current financial situation, we will all be worried about losing our jobs to some extent.




Sanna Holmqvist

Not really, but like most people it is hard to feel anything but concern, if not for myself then for the situation as a whole when it seems like every time you turn on the news, hundreds or even thousands more people have been getting notice about losing their jobs.

I heard a professor in economics say today that we must remember that far from all of those who get notice do actually lose their jobs in the end. But still, it must be horrible to live under the pressure. And all branches and sectors will be affected in one way or another, but I am not too worried about losing my job.




Marcus Cederström

No. Not at all. I just got hired. So I'm flush with confidence.

And I look around at my company and more and more people are being hired. I know there is a recession. I know the unemployment numbers are bad. I know that that there was negative growth in GDP plunging Sweden into an official recession. I read the headlines of people getting laid off. It is not a pretty picture. I know.

But I'm just not worried. Maybe it's a false sense of confidence considering the continued negative economic outlook, but I'll rack it up to youthful exuberance and keep going to work every day. And just
feel lucky to have a job.




Claudia Tenenblat

As I have said before, I am on extended leave from a job with my country's federal administration and I don't work steadily in Sweden. Fortunately, this question does not concern me.




Robert Flahiff

In short, no, I personally am not worried at this point. I am "fastanställd" (permanently employed) and belong to a labour union with a Swedish multinational which, at this point in time, is weathering the current troubles.

But those with short-term contracts have either not had their contracts renewed or have been informed that they will not be renewed. This wasn't totally unexpected, but does put a bit more pressure on the rest of us to perform.

We are continuing to expand and grow internationally, but if that contracts, then I will start to worry. We are aware, feel, and understand the pinch, but due to previous long-term planning and current investment in automation, we should be OK in the end.




Tiffany Hoffman

Tiffany has just arrived in the country and has not had a chance to worry about holding onto a job just yet.




Nicolas Belloni

Not so much. I'm concerned of course, but I'm a candidate for a PhD position which is 5 years long. So if I get that, I won’t be worried anymore.