The Swedish government's latest proposal to raise the salary threshold for work permits to the current median salary, currently 35,600 kronor, is a blatant act of economic and social vandalism. It also risks sabotaging Sweden's hard-earned reputation as a pioneer in sustainable innovation.
Northern Sweden, once seemingly in terminal economic decline, is now enjoying the fruits of a green renaissance.
The region is home to burgeoning renewables-fuelled projects led by Northvolt in Skellefteå.
These industries are the lifeblood of our future, promising jobs, prosperity, and a sustainable path forward, not just for Sweden but for the world.
Yet, the government, with an almost unbelievably myopic focus on immigration driven by its governmental partnership with the far-right Sweden Democrats, risks jeopardizing this entire endeavor.
The argument for raising the salary threshold is built on a false premise: that foreign workers are somehow supplanting Swedes. This is a dangerous oversimplification.
The reality is that the green tech sector demands a specific skill set, often requiring expertise not readily available domestically, or even in the EU. These are not low-skilled jobs, but positions requiring advanced knowledge and experience.
By erecting higher salary barriers, Sweden risks losing out on precisely the talent it needs to compete globally.
As Northvolt said recently in a response to the government's plans, "This applies in particular to machine operators and technicians, whose minimum wages under collective bargaining agreements are lower than the median wage, and therefore are particularly vulnerable in this context.”
Already, in the first five months of 2024, Sweden approved 20 percent fewer work permits for highly qualified workers compared to the same period last year.
It's a short-sighted gamble. The government's priority should be to create an environment where Swedish and foreign talent can thrive side by side. By nurturing a skilled workforce, we can ensure that the benefits of the green transition are shared equitably.
But it's not just green jobs that will be affected as Northvolt also pointed out:
"Aside from the direct effects on the company, Northvolt sees a risk that staffing in healthcare, services and infrastructure in northern Sweden could be negatively affected by the salary threshold, which would indirectly affect Northvolt’s expansion.”
This is where the government's social vandalism kicks in.
Health services in Norrland are already stretched so tight that if you were able to ping them, the sound would only be audible to a passing bat. To have a government that is intent on making it even harder to recruit healthcare staff in the north is truly mindboggling.
Is it incompetence or malice? After all, not many people vote for the government parties up here.
The government's proposal also ignores broader economic implications. A thriving green tech sector is a magnet for investment.
It creates jobs not just in the industry itself, but across the entire supply chain. By hindering the growth of this sector, we risk a ripple effect that could impact countless businesses and communities.
The green transition is not just an environmental imperative; it's an economic opportunity.
By embracing foreign talent, we are investing in our future. Sweden has a chance to be a global leader in this field, but only if we have the courage to think long-term.
The green transition is too important to be held hostage by short-sighted, purely political ploys that make no economic sense.
Sweden's green future is being sacrificed on the altar of bad policy – we need proactive leaders, not devious tacticians.
This is a column and the views are the author's own.
Paul Connolly is the editor of Norran's English site, norran.se/english.