Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure SE-2022-23/2825 – Updated – measures in Sweden
Country | Sweden , applies nationwide |
Time period | Open ended, started on 02 June 2022 |
Context | War in Ukraine |
Type | Other initiatives or policies |
Category |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future
– Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.) |
Author | Anna-Karin Gustafsson (Oxford Research) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 09 September 2022 (updated 12 June 2023) |
Since the EU-mechanism for temporary protection under the Directive on Temporary Protection 2001/55/EC was activated, Ukrainian refugees have the right to work during their stay in an EU-country.
The Swedish government and authorities have taken a series of measures to help Ukrainian refugees find work. Among them are language training, vocational education, and an introduction to Swedish society and culture. Via the EU-initiative Care, member countries can redistribute resources from several EU-funds, such as the European Social Fund (ESF), to aid for refugees. This allows the governement to fund initiatives to help the Ukrainian refugees, such as building shelters, securing sanitation, and implementing labour market measures.
The Swedish government will redistribute SEK 885 million (€83 million) of ESF-funds to help Ukrainian refugees find work. The funds are the remains of the national 2014-2020 ESF-programme. The redistribution of the funds has to be be approved by the European Commission. Local and regional agencies, enterprises, and civic organisations will be able to apply for funding from the national ESF-council under this measure. They are expected to use these funds for job matching, language training or vocational education. The council will particularly consider projects related to industrial development in northern Sweden. Eligible projects must be on the national or regional level. It is expected that this measure will result in an increased number of Ukrainians able to enter into the Swedish labour market.
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
17 May 2023 |
The government has proposed a further allocation of SEK 329 million (€28.2 million) to help Ukrainian refugees find employment. The redirection of funding is done within the ESF+ program period of 2021-2027. The funding can be used until June 2024. The proposal has to be approved by the European Commission. |
Municipalities, civil society organisations and authorities have been able to apply for funds since 1 June 2023. In May 2023 the ESF-council reported that a total of SEK 621 million (€53.3 million) have been granted to 87 projects, mainly run by municipalities and civic organisations.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Unemployed
|
Does not apply to businesses |
Migrants or refugees
|
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
|
European Funds
National funds |
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
The measure is outside social partner main domain.
The measure is outside social partner main domain.
Citation
Eurofound (2022), European Social Fund to help Ukrainian refugees find employment, measure SE-2022-23/2825 (measures in Sweden), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SE-2022-23_2825.html
Share
30 January 2023
Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.
Article12 September 2022
Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Article12 September 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.
Article5 July 2022
This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.
ArticleDisclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.