UPDATE: 11:50
Kristina Sundin Jonsson, city manager, praises the tremendous commitment shown by everyone involved in addressing the Northvolt crisis.
– Everyone is demonstrating a fantastic desire to help in various ways during this challenging time, she says.
Referring to Ida Rönnblom's account of Skellefteå's low unemployment rate, Jonsson adds:
– Our goal is to retain as many of the affected individuals as possible within this region. We will strive to provide maximum support to the business community, which is also facing significant difficulties.
– The fundamental conditions are strong, and this is a bump in the road. While the situation is tough at the moment, we also recognize the incredible development taking place in Skellefteå and northern Sweden. We will continue to work towards a positive future.
UPDATE: 11:30
Rönnblom describes how Arbetsförmedlingen works regarding Northvolt's planned redundancies, and says that it is primarily about helping those individuals who are affected.
–They should receive information and know what the next step is. We are gearing up for that right now.
– My main message here and now is: all companies who need to hire people, let your needs be known. Take the opportunity to post and publish on Platsbanken so those who are looking for a job know where they are needed.
UPDATE: 11:20
Ida Rönnblom, head of office at Arbetsförmedlingen, reported a slight increase in registrations but noted that Västerbotten still has a low unemployment rate compared to the national average.
– According to the statistics, Västerbotten and Norrbotten have the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 3.8 and 3.9 percent respectively, compared to the national rate of 6.8 percent, she said.
UPDATE: 11:15
Anja Palm says:
The current situation is likely a temporary downturn, and we will do everything possible to minimize its impact. says Anja Palm.
Property owners report that the housing market has been partially impacted by contractors who have left the area after their services were no longer needed. However, they believe that the overall housing shortage is likely to remain stable in the long term.
The municipality has received concerns from installation and transportation companies.
–There have been some layoffs.These lay-offs have primarily affected foreign workers who have been sent home in some cases.
UPDATE: 11:10
– Meet and match events will be held on four occasions and open to anyone interested in applying for a job, says Kristina Sundin Jonsson, city manager.
–The events are also open to all types of employers, not just companies from Skellefteå.
The event is a collaboration between the municipality, Northvolt and Arbetsförmedlingen.
They will be free of charge for both exhibitors and visitors.
Over 400 visitors are reported to be interested in meeting employers.
UPDATE: 11:00
Last week, the municipality announced plans for recurring press conferences discuss efforts to find solutions caused by Northvolt's troubles, and this is one of them. "The press conference is a follow-up to the ongoing efforts and future plans," Skellefteå municipality stated in a press release.
Participants in the press conference included Skellefteå's city manager, Kristina Sundin Jonsson, the municipality's head of business, Anja Palm, and Ida Rönnblom from Arbetsförmedlingen.