New support will help companies recruit more broadly

The shortage of labor is one of Norrbotten's biggest challenges. Many companies report that difficulties in recruiting are forcing them to say no to assignments. Now, Region Norrbotten is launching a new business support program. It will help companies find employees from the small labor pool of unemployed immigrants. 

Northern Sweden has the country's lowest unemployment rate. It is also in Norrbotten that companies have the most difficulty recruiting, according to a report from the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise 2022. Three out of ten attempts fail, according to the report. This has serious consequences for companies. Every second company is forced to turn down a job because they do not have the required personnel.

The new company support, Recruitment Support for Diversity, is intended to make it easier for companies that want to have a broader recruitment base and become a more attractive employer.

“We will all be winners”

In Norrbotten, the “labor reserve”, people who are unemployed for various reasons, amounts to just over 5000 people. In January this year, the number of openly unemployed people in Norrbotten was only 2552, according to the Swedish Public Employment Service. Of these, a large proportion are immigrants. In many cases, it is from this group that the potential and skills are available for those who want to recruit locally.

– Every time it succeeds, we all win: the company that can grow sustainably, Norrbotten that gains stronger competitiveness. The individual who gets a job, becomes better integrated into society and has a stronger economy. Society, which receives new tax money for healthcare, schools and social care, says Monica Lejon, Head of Business and Society at Region Norrbotten.

Lower the thresholds

To get there, we need to see the potential of every person. Language barriers, social codes or other circumstances must not be obstacles to recruiting valuable skills. Here we need to both lower the thresholds and see the opportunities with diversity in recruitment.

Recruitment support for diversity can be provided to companies when recruiting people born outside the Nordic countries, who have lived in Sweden for a maximum of 5 years and who are mainly registered with the employment service. Companies with 3-49 employees can apply for the support.

Ukrainians a valuable addition

This year, the support also includes refugees from war-torn Ukraine who are not registered with the employment service.

– This group often has a high level of competence and has been held back by the fact that they have not had the legal right to education in Swedish. We see that the Ukrainian refugees, as long as they are here, can be a valuable addition to the Norrbotten labor market, says Monica Lejon.

The support has two mandatory parts where the company must work with both. One concerns additional costs for supervision. Maybe you need to find ways of working that overcome language barriers? Spend a little extra time explaining the cultural codes in the workplace? The support concerns the loss of production that occurs for the supervisor.

The second part is about developing the company's diversity work. This could, for example, involve carrying out an analysis of the current situation and the need to develop the guidance. At most, a company can receive 120 SEK per recruitment, for a maximum of two recruitments.

Read more and apply: Recruitment support for diversity - Develop Norrbotten - Develop Norrbotten
Broad recruitment in practice? Inspired by Module: Broad recruitment a key to Modul's success

Do you have any questions? Contact: 

Per-Anders Karlsson
Strategist, business support
per-anders.karlsson@norrbotten.se
0920-711 62

Anita Johansson
Strategist, business support
anita.k.johansson@norrbotten.se
0920-711 52

Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa