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A worker at a Volvo plant who may or may not be working overtime
Swedes working overtime at record levels
As the economy continues to heat up, Swedes are working more overtime than ever before, with extra hours clocked in the sectors shooting up by more than 30 percent.
Published: 18 Mar 2011 08:24 CET
As the economy continues to heat up, Swedes are working more overtime than ever before, with extra hours clocked in some sectors shooting up by more than 30 percent.
Overtime worked by Swedish labourers reached record levels in January as the wheels of commerce churn ever faster.
"It's expected that people devote increasing amounts of their own time without being recognised," consultant Jonas Hasselhuhn told the TT news agency.
Over the last year, 800,000 people, or one in five workers, worked some form of overtime during a regular working week, the equivalent of 5 million overtime hours, according to new data from Statistics Sweden (SCB).
Current levels of overtime have returned to the situation last seen prior to the financial crisis when the Swedish economy was in its last period of rapid growth.
Converted into full-time positions, the amount of overtime currently worked by Swedes translates into 125,000 jobs.
Companies who got burned in the financial crisis have been cautious about hiring new workers, leaving existing staff to bear the brunt of the burden as demand rises.
In addition, the rapid pace of economic growth in Sweden in the last year has made it harder for companies to find the right people.
The amount of overtime worked has increased most in the manufacturing, construction, and transportation sectors, where extra hours have risen between 30 and 40 percent.
While more overtime is generally considered a positive sign for companies, working too much can cause health problems for certain groups.
"Forced overtime is the worst. The job is probably unpleasant as well," Torbjörn Åkerstedt, a professor at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University, told TT.
Nevertheless, he doesn't see the recent increase in working hours as a major problem.
"Most often the healthiest groups work overtime," he said.
But certain groups, those who work up around 70 hours a week, as well as workers juggling the pressures of parenting small children, can experience health problems if they work too much.
Overtime worked by Swedish labourers reached record levels in January as the wheels of commerce churn ever faster.
"It's expected that people devote increasing amounts of their own time without being recognised," consultant Jonas Hasselhuhn told the TT news agency.
Over the last year, 800,000 people, or one in five workers, worked some form of overtime during a regular working week, the equivalent of 5 million overtime hours, according to new data from Statistics Sweden (SCB).
Current levels of overtime have returned to the situation last seen prior to the financial crisis when the Swedish economy was in its last period of rapid growth.
Converted into full-time positions, the amount of overtime currently worked by Swedes translates into 125,000 jobs.
Companies who got burned in the financial crisis have been cautious about hiring new workers, leaving existing staff to bear the brunt of the burden as demand rises.
In addition, the rapid pace of economic growth in Sweden in the last year has made it harder for companies to find the right people.
The amount of overtime worked has increased most in the manufacturing, construction, and transportation sectors, where extra hours have risen between 30 and 40 percent.
While more overtime is generally considered a positive sign for companies, working too much can cause health problems for certain groups.
"Forced overtime is the worst. The job is probably unpleasant as well," Torbjörn Åkerstedt, a professor at the Stress Research Institute at Stockholm University, told TT.
Nevertheless, he doesn't see the recent increase in working hours as a major problem.
"Most often the healthiest groups work overtime," he said.
But certain groups, those who work up around 70 hours a week, as well as workers juggling the pressures of parenting small children, can experience health problems if they work too much.
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Whats up with that crap? It sounds like some nice fat paychecks to me. Time is money.
There is 100,000's of people unemployed in Sweden.
Stop hating the poor. Drop the praktik nonsense and hire people.
In any case, here we go again... overheating of any economy can only eventually lead to another collapse...
The Looney Swedish government continues to mislead the public, unemployment is increasing in Sweden. However the government continues to manipulate the figures by not counting those who are doing further education and the thousands that are working for free forced labour.
Regarding 70 hours a week and "Forced overtime", this is a joke. Sweden has signed up to the EU Working Time Directive, which is a maximum of 48 hours per week. Sweden you are full of bullsh!t.
Oh, by the way, I did survive that 20 year stretch. But just barely.
I worked overtime 4 saturdays in Januari.
The company: Elitf?er.
Get a haircut and a job, bitch
If you don´t like it, go home to your 3rd world country.
"I worked overtime 4 Saturdays in Januari." Wow, so how does that add up to 70 hours per week. We are soon into April, what about February and March. You are obviously under 18. I don't live in 3rd Sweden luckily enough. You must be one of the na? people that worship Sweden's loony government. Take a look outside your window and see what's really going on in the real world, Idiot.
P,S. You need to check your spelling.
By the way I have a job and I am paid well enough that I don't have to work overtime, also I have very short hair, but thanks for the advice.
What´s your problem with the "Loony Swedish government" ?
Are you parents siblings?
From the article:
"Overtime worked by Swedish labourers reached record levels in January "
I responded to that.
I also worked overtime in februari and march, but not every saturday.
What's wrong with "Sweden's Looney government", are you not aware that thousands of people in Sweden are being forced to work for nothing. They often feel humiliated, outcast and embarrassed, etc. These people want to work, but cannot because of the high unemployment rate in Sweden. This forced labour is a government directive and many companies are cashing in on this. They take on unemployed workers for up to 2 years for free, these companies also get paid £25 a day for each worker they take on. This is no different to 3rd world labour camps and in some cases even worse. The workers get around £75 a week from the unemployment centre, out of this they must pay for food and accommodation as well as paying for all of their costs incurred while being forced to work. Maybe it's these people The Local talking about when they quote 70 hours a week.
The government uses na? people like you to look down on these unfortunate people, saying they are benefit spongers etc. People have the right to work, but no government has the right to persecute its own people.
You also need to read the story a little more in detail, it quotes "It's expected that people devote increasing amounts of their own time without being recognised," What does this mean to you?
"Are you parents siblings?"
It is your use of English that makes me feel that you are under 18 years old.
Regarding being a Bush supporter I could not be more the opposite, it just shows how you failed to understand me.
Please, before you respond, put your brain into gear before opening your mouth.
Ok we can speak in my language and see how well you spell, bitch.
Folk ?inte tvungna att jobba f?ngenting,
Sprid inte dina barnsliga konspirationsteorier, du g?ig bara till ??
Tala om vilket land du ?ifr?som ?s?ycket b?re din slyna.
You seem to have a problem with bitches don't you, is this because you are big girl? What is your childish obsession with bitches please grow up?
Once again you failed to recognise the TRUTH or is you are so na? beyond believe.
Have you not heard that thousands are working for free in Sweden? Then you don't read the news or you are so dump that you believe the lies that you are being told.
Read the headline, you can find out more of how the Swedish government is punishing the unemployed by any form of a simple search.
http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/civilisten/2011/03/det-moderna-tvangsarbetet--fas-3-mot-ilo
If you want I can find more facts like this, the whole of Europe knows about this embarrassing scandal.
"Arbetsl?ten ? i Sverige" L?
Du har s?rligen inget jobb. Det finns ingen som vill anst?a en l?spelare som du.
Du v?ar att svara p?ilket land du kommer ifr?Antagligen f?tt det ?10ggr v?e ?Sverige)
Jag l?er ner nu.
Du ?f?um f?tt f?en seri?iskussion med.
If people's arguments are that the OT is taking away from the unemployed, then start arguing for the government making it so hard and expensive for the company's to hire new people, then maybe they will!!!
Yes as I thought, a poor na? person that is a typical stereo type conservative brain washed fool.
You live in your own small childish world and fail to see how you are being used.
I am sorry I did forget to tell I live in The UK, I am an engineer and receive a very good salary, the company I work for is a world class company, it is so well organised that overtime is not required.
Regarding a conversation, I have normal conversations all the time, except when I find such an idiot as you.
Although I have a good standard of living, I am not the sort person that thinks "I'm alright Jack". I deplore situations where normal people get used for fat cats benefits. Especially forced labour, and you cannot deny these practices are not going on in Sweden.
Please also remember to write in English when you are here, Google translate is not perfect but it's not bad. I hope you have a good night's sleep, I will, I have just come back from the pub after a couple of pints.
Den enda som ?dum h??du - du har ju inte ens n?a argument!
Men du beh? ju inga argument eller hur? F?u f?tillr?ligt med bevis att du har r? med de kloka diskussioner som du och dina gel?rypande polare har medan ni pimplar alkohol p?redag och l?g-kv?arna.
Det ?folk som du, som aldrig ifr?s?er, (b? till h? och v?ter) som kommer att bli det h?landets fall.
Also, learn english or stop writing.
Three of the main indicators of economic boom are interest rates, exchange rates and changes in unemployment.
Swedish interest rates are going up, the Swedish currency is up, unemployment is down. Together they indicate a strong boom, which has been recognised in public even by David Cameron.
As a comparison, US and UK interest rates are at historical lows, and so are exchange rates while employment figures are on a 20 year low. US and UK economies are in recession and this is generally acknowledged.
End of lecture.
Now a few questions..
- Who believes that their personal experience can translate into something even remotely close to the situation of an entire country?
- Who believes that the amount of hours that part of society is putting in, is representative of that society?
- Who believes that overtime is a big problem among burger flippers compared to high competence areas which are experiencing a shortage already since several months?
BTW, skilled staff are more often on a "fixed" monthly pay without right for extra compensation or they might be running their own business like me. I agree that many people in Sweden might be spoiled, but it doesn't look better here in the UK. I doubt that it's better in the US. Anyway, it's not really relevant to the discussion, is it?
And at the end a few small notes...
- Referring to a left wing tabloid like Aftonbladet in trying to create credibility is like referring to The Sun in the UK. The current way of measuring unemployment was introduced by a Social Democratic government many years ago. Who's to blame..?
@Great Scott - "stereo type" - Is that writing with two hands at the same type? Perhaps YOU should check your spelling..
@Kenny8076 - "the hole day" - is that a day where the calendar has been punched through?
I know few guys who are quite talented and would very much like to get the opportunity to work. So, please pass over the jobs to the ones who would really like to work.
I would be cautious about using interest rates and exchange rates as an indicator of economic health. In a perfect world, you are right, they should, for the most part, coincide. But, you dont give enough credit to our central bankers. You are operating under the assumption they wont do everything in their power to screw everything up :)