Employment Rate Potential in the Nordic Countries

Achieving and maintaining high employment rates is becoming increasingly important. Governments seek to mobilise new sub-groups of population into employment. However, the Nordic employment rates are already high when compared internationally and historically. The question arises: where should the increase in employment come from? This report uses statistical comparisons to pin-point the main possible sources of employment potential in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These countries are both similar and different enough in the sense that comparisons can shed new light on the issue. The four countries are compared to the "best pupil in class" in order to point out the possible potential. For instance, Finnish women work much longer hours than women in the three other countries. This indicates that increasing women's working time is a potential source of new employment for them. Employment trends are compared especially in relation to a number of themes. They include working time and part-time employment, unemployment, early exit, very late exit, sickness absence, and disability. Throughout the report, the countries are studied and compared from the perspective of increasing total employment. Some relevant policy indications and the possibilities of mobilising the existing employment potential are also discussed.