Today in Sweden: A roundup of the latest news on Friday
Record number of innocent victims of gang crime in 2023, more people finding new jobs despite the economic situation, and more snow and ice on the way for parts of Sweden. Here's more of Sweden's news on Friday.
More people in Sweden finding work despite wave of bankruptcies
Despite the recession, more redundancies and increased bankruptcies, some parts of the labour market are crying out for skilled workers. More and more people - especially over-60s - are getting jobs through omställningsstöd, transitional support offered to people who lose their jobs to assist them in finding a new one.
"There is demand in all sectors," said Caroline Söder, CEO of Trygghetsfonden TSL, a foundation offering support with job transition.
TSL granted omställningsstöd to more than 20,000 people in 2023, an increase of around 140 per cent compared to last year.
Despite the strained economic situation, the foundation has noticed a tangible demand in the labour market.
"Many companies are looking for skilled workers and there is demand in all industries, even for age groups over 60," Söder said.
Swedish vocabulary: konkurs - bankruptcy
Record number of innocent victims killed by gang crime in 2023
Never before have so many outsiders been murdered in suspected gang violence. Some by mistake, but 2023 was also the year when parents, siblings and distant relatives of gang criminals were also targeted.
2022 looks set to maintain its record with 63 shootings compared to 53 this year. But while fewer people were killed in 2023, an unusually high number of them belong to people with no connection to crime.
As many as one in five - 12 out of 53 - people shot dead in 2023 appear to have no connections to gang crime.
This number includes people hit by stray bullets, innocent people mistaken for someone else or those who were killed while they were with someone with a price on their head, as well as relatives of gang criminals.
Swedish vocabulary: oskyldig - innocent
Yellow weather warnings issued for ice and snow on Friday
More rain and snow was set to hit Sweden on Friday, as the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued a yellow weather warning for snow and black ice in north west Götaland and some parts of Svealand.
"The roads are icy in many areas," SMHI meteorologist Therese Fougman said. "It's worth taking extra care when heading out on the roads."
The problem is caused by freezing rain falling on the cold ground, she said.
In Värmland and western Västmanland, snowfall is expected, subsiding later in the day.
"Even though there isn't a warning in place for those areas, there's a high risk of icy conditions if there's rain falling on snow or ice," Fougman said.
Snow is also expected in Norrland, with over 10cm forecast to fall in some areas.
Swedish vocabulary: halka - icy conditions
Swedish household loans continue to decline
Swedish households' loans had an annual growth rate of 0.5 percent in November. This is at the same level as in October, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB).
The annual growth rate for household mortgages has decreased every month since May 2022.
Housing loans accounted for 83 percent of total lending to households. Consumer loans, which accounted for 6 percent of household loans, had a growth rate of 1.8 percent.
In total, household loans amounted to 4,918 billion kronor in November. Lending to non-financial companies amounted to 2,994 billion kronor.
The average interest rate on new mortgages continued to increase to 4.80 percent, while the average interest rate on variable mortgages is 4.89 per cent.
The statistics refer to households' and non-financial corporations' loans from banks and other so-called monetary financial institutions (MFIs).
Swedish vocabulary: lån - loan
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More people in Sweden finding work despite wave of bankruptcies
Despite the recession, more redundancies and increased bankruptcies, some parts of the labour market are crying out for skilled workers. More and more people - especially over-60s - are getting jobs through omställningsstöd, transitional support offered to people who lose their jobs to assist them in finding a new one.
"There is demand in all sectors," said Caroline Söder, CEO of Trygghetsfonden TSL, a foundation offering support with job transition.
TSL granted omställningsstöd to more than 20,000 people in 2023, an increase of around 140 per cent compared to last year.
Despite the strained economic situation, the foundation has noticed a tangible demand in the labour market.
"Many companies are looking for skilled workers and there is demand in all industries, even for age groups over 60," Söder said.
Swedish vocabulary: konkurs - bankruptcy
Record number of innocent victims killed by gang crime in 2023
Never before have so many outsiders been murdered in suspected gang violence. Some by mistake, but 2023 was also the year when parents, siblings and distant relatives of gang criminals were also targeted.
2022 looks set to maintain its record with 63 shootings compared to 53 this year. But while fewer people were killed in 2023, an unusually high number of them belong to people with no connection to crime.
As many as one in five - 12 out of 53 - people shot dead in 2023 appear to have no connections to gang crime.
This number includes people hit by stray bullets, innocent people mistaken for someone else or those who were killed while they were with someone with a price on their head, as well as relatives of gang criminals.
Swedish vocabulary: oskyldig - innocent
Yellow weather warnings issued for ice and snow on Friday
More rain and snow was set to hit Sweden on Friday, as the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) issued a yellow weather warning for snow and black ice in north west Götaland and some parts of Svealand.
"The roads are icy in many areas," SMHI meteorologist Therese Fougman said. "It's worth taking extra care when heading out on the roads."
The problem is caused by freezing rain falling on the cold ground, she said.
In Värmland and western Västmanland, snowfall is expected, subsiding later in the day.
"Even though there isn't a warning in place for those areas, there's a high risk of icy conditions if there's rain falling on snow or ice," Fougman said.
Snow is also expected in Norrland, with over 10cm forecast to fall in some areas.
Swedish vocabulary: halka - icy conditions
Swedish household loans continue to decline
Swedish households' loans had an annual growth rate of 0.5 percent in November. This is at the same level as in October, according to Statistics Sweden (SCB).
The annual growth rate for household mortgages has decreased every month since May 2022.
Housing loans accounted for 83 percent of total lending to households. Consumer loans, which accounted for 6 percent of household loans, had a growth rate of 1.8 percent.
In total, household loans amounted to 4,918 billion kronor in November. Lending to non-financial companies amounted to 2,994 billion kronor.
The average interest rate on new mortgages continued to increase to 4.80 percent, while the average interest rate on variable mortgages is 4.89 per cent.
The statistics refer to households' and non-financial corporations' loans from banks and other so-called monetary financial institutions (MFIs).
Swedish vocabulary: lån - loan
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