The Government Calls 'Skåne' Unemployment Absurd

Despite tens of thousands of people being unemployed in Skåne, there is simultaneously a labor shortage in Denmark. Now, Minister for Employment Johan Britz (L) wants to see tougher requirements for job seekers to also look for work on the other side of the Öresund.

Skåne County has the highest unemployment rate in all of Sweden. Several of the country’s most unemployment-stricken municipalities are in Skåne, including Perstorp, Malmö, and Landskrona. The situation has for years been pointed out as one of the region’s biggest economic and social problems.

The background to the discussion is the persistently high unemployment in Skåne, especially in Malmö. During 2026, the unemployment rate in Malmö hovered around 12 percent, although it has recently dropped to about 11.5 percent. That is still considerably higher than the national average, which sits around 7 percent.

Malmö is therefore among the municipalities in Sweden with the highest unemployment. At the same time, it is the city in the country with the highest proportion of residents with foreign backgrounds, something that has long affected both the labor market and the so-called integration challenges in the city.

A large share of the unemployment is found among foreign-born individuals, especially those with non-European backgrounds. National statistics show that unemployment among foreign-born is significantly higher than among native-born, something that also characterizes the situation in Malmö and other parts of Skåne.

When news agency TT and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise’s newspaper report on the situation, it is called the “Skåne unemployment”. Today, about 52,000 people are registered as unemployed in Skåne County, while Danish employers are struggling to find staff.

At the same time, there is a labor shortage in several industries in Denmark, just on the other side of the Öresund and a simple commute over the bridge. The difference between the high unemployment in Skåne and the strong demand for labor in the Copenhagen region is one of the reasons the government now wants to see increased mobility across the border for Swedish job seekers.

“Absurd”

The situation has prompted a strong reaction from the Minister for Employment. He describes the state as “absurd” and suggests that the Public Employment Service may receive a clearer directive to guide job seekers toward the Danish labor market.

– Obviously, it’s not working in practice, says Johan Britz (L) to TT, and continues:

– The Liberals think it’s reasonable for unemployed Swedes to apply for Danish jobs. It is similar to situations elsewhere in the country where we have acted to increase geographical mobility.

Möllevångstorget in Malmö – Postcard from the 1960s and present-day photo. Photo: Facsimile Tradera / Johan Jönsson CC BY-SA 3.0

Applying for Jobs in Denmark Is Voluntary

About a year ago, the government tasked the Public Employment Service with encouraging the unemployed to look for work in other locations as well. However, there was no requirement to also look toward Denmark in that mandate.

According to Mats Olsson, head of section at the Public Employment Service in Malmö, the agency can help people who want to work in Denmark—but only on a voluntary basis.