Anna-From Lindqvist, Euniqem
UPDATE: Mon: 15:00
Anna From-Lindqvist from Euniq'em AB started the "Stanna" project in October 2024. It's designed to help Northvolt employees who might lose their jobs stay in Skellefteå.
They're getting a lot of calls from Northvolt people asking what's next.
– Some have been told they're being laid off, others are in the dark and need advice. We're trying to send them to the crisis centre. We're really feeling for everyone going through this right now, says Anna.
People from outside the EU have an extra hurdle, as they only have three months to find new work.
"Stanna" has mainly been about going out and meeting people, giving Northvolt employees information and answering their questions. This includes visiting the English school, the mosque, and programs like "Hello Stranger."
– We give them information about how government agencies work, the laws they need to know, and what the rules are. Things like income requirements and the rules for job ads for those who were recruited from elsewhere, explains Anna.
UPDATE: Mon: 13:25
Skellefteå municipality invites you to an open house at The Great Northern.
Information days will be held from Tuesday to Friday where around ten organisations will offer support and guidance for former Northvolt employees. Those affected will be able to get help with practical issues and human support.
Location: The Great Northern, Storgatan 53, Skellefteå
Venue: Pansalen
Date: Tuesday, April 1 – Friday, April 4
Time: 12:00–20:00
UPDATE: Mon: 12:20
IF Metall: Just under 900 will remain at Northvolt Ett
So far, there has been confusion about how many employees will remain at the factory in Skellefteå in the coming months. Norran has reported that the number could be around 1,200, but yesterday, other reports suggested it might be even lower.
Northvolt filed for bankruptcy.
Now, the IF Metall union in Skellefteå tells SVT Nyheter Västerbotten that fewer than 900 employees will continue working at Northvolt Ett.
– The information we have now is that just under 900 people will remain at Northvolt Ett in Skellefteå. This includes both workers and white-collar employees, so it will be tough, says Lena Lundgren, coordinator at IF Metall, to SVT.
According to IF Metall, 180 people will also continue working at Revolt, SVT reports.
UPDATE: Mon: 16:10
The confusion: Uncertainty about how many people are affected in Skellefteå
According to an official statement released Monday afternoon, bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu indicated that 1,700 individuals would be retained across Northvolt's Swedish entities, as the organization downsizes pending a potential acquisition.
– In addition, there are personnel employed at foreign subsidiaries. Other staff will be placed on leave, with notifications being sent to affected individuals starting tomorrow, Mikael stated.
The precise number of these 1,700 positions located in Skellefteå was not specified. However, multiple sources informed Norran that Mikael Kubu referenced approximately 1,200 employees during the information meeting, a detail corroborated by Affärsvärlden, which also accessed a recording of the meeting.
– I wish we could retain everyone, but no one is willing to fund that. Maintaining 1,200 employees is significantly preferable to none. It also facilitates our ability to secure a new owner for the entire business, Mikael Kubu was reportedly heard saying, according to the publication.
Many Northvolt workers have been laid off.
Dagens Industri, conversely, reported that "around half" of Northvolt's Skellefteå factory workforce would be departing. In January, Northvolt Ett employed nearly 3,000 individuals, as previously stated to Norran by Northvolt Ett's CEO, Markus Dangelmaier.
Norran received information suggesting 1,200 employees would remain in Skellefteå, but this figure may be considerably lower.
– That number encompasses Northvolt Ett, Revolt, and Labs, a source present at today's meeting clarified.
Later in the afternoon, Skellefteå Municipality published a LinkedIn post stating that 1,900 individuals would be released from employment in Skellefteå, with only 900 remaining during their notice period.
However, municipal manager Kristina Sundin Jonsson confirmed that the post was erroneous, and Skellefteå Municipality promptly removed it.
– There have been conflicting figures circulated today. The bankruptcy trustee informed us that 1,700 employees would be retained across the group. We have not received detailed information regarding the specific impact on Skellefteå, the battery factory, and Revolt, Kristina Sundin Jonsson explained.
Regarding the source of the erroneous figures on LinkedIn:
– They were incorrect. I have no explanation, Kristina stated, adding that a clarification from the bankruptcy trustee was expected later today or later this week.
– We will receive further clarity on the impact on Skellefteå tomorrow, she concluded.
Norran has contacted the bankruptcy trustee but has not received a response.
UPDATE: Mon: 15:50
Anders Eriksson, head of unit at Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service), begins by acknowledging the severe impact on all those affected. He strongly encourages individuals to register as job seekers immediately upon becoming unemployed or laid off.
– It is crucial that we can commence our matching process as early as possible, he emphasised.
Eriksson also stressed the importance of accurately detailing professional experience during job seeker registration to streamline the matching procedure.
– The employment service will be present at the hub at The Great Northern, and we will also extend our hours at our premises on Kanalgatan 52 for those requiring assistance, he stated.
You must register with Arbetsförmedlingen no sooner than on your first day of unemployment. That is, not when you're notified of termination - but on the first day you are officially no longer an employee.
Also read: Suddenly out of work in Sweden? Here's what to do next
UPDATE: Mon: 15:30:
Skellefteå municipality is establishing a hub at The Great Northern to facilitate and support government authorities during the crisis.
– We will establish the location tomorrow. We envision it as a central hub for extensive government collaboration. Skellefteå municipality and all relevant municipal activities, including adult education, will be situated there, they announced.
Skatteverket, Migrationsverket, the transition organizations, Statens servicecenter, LTU, and the trade unions will also be present at the hub.
Skellefteå municipality's customer service and crisis response team, POSOM, will also be located there.
– We have also arranged for our own POSOM team, the Red Cross, and Expat & Friends to provide assistance during this period of unrest, which is causing significant concern for many affected individuals, they explained.
The hub will host an open house Tuesday through Friday, organised through Skellefteå municipality's Welcome House project. All Northvolt employees, as well as affected external stakeholders, are invited.
"For Skellefteå municipality, the paramount priority at this time is to provide attention and support to residents experiencing anxiety, both for themselves and others. Numerous individuals are affected and are currently experiencing considerable concern for their future. Therefore, collaboration with organisations offering support and counselling is crucial," the municipality stated in a press release.
UPDATE: Mon: 15:25:
– A government cannot close the door to the green transition and battery production in Sweden. That would be a geopolitical and geoeconomic failure, both for Sweden and Europe.
– The goal established in September—to ensure as many individuals as possible find new employment and remain in Skellefteå and the region—remains unchanged, Burman said.
– However, we cannot achieve this alone, without the state's active participation, he emphasised.
– A government cannot abandon the green transition and battery production in Sweden; that would represent a failure for both Sweden and Europe. Nor can a single municipality be left to manage such an extraordinary event independently, he continued.
Lorents Burman, mayor.
– The collective expertise required for battery production exists solely in Skellefteå at this moment, nowhere else in Europe, and this represents a substantial capital asset that must be preserved, he explained.
He concluded by asserting the necessity of government intervention.
– We expect the government to assume this responsibility and provide support to the bankruptcy trustee, he concluded.
UPDATE: Mon: 15:20:
Lorents Burman, the Social Democrat mayor of Skellefteå: "We cannot turn our backs on the people"
– I will begin by stating that it is with profound emotion that we receive today's announcement regarding the numerous individuals who will not be rehired at the battery factory, he said.
– My, and our, immediate thoughts are with those affected, who now face a highly uncertain future. These are Skellefteå residents, Västerbotten residents, and people from across the globe who chose to build a new life in northern Sweden and Skellefteå, he continued.
UPDATE: Mon: 15:15:
Norran has been in contact with several employees who have been notified of the major cutbacks.
– It feels expected, but damn sad. I will lose many close friends and colleagues, said one of them.
This man expressed particular concern for those non-EU workers in Sweden on work permits, who lack his level of security.
– There has been a lot of crying and depression to contend with in recent weeks, and I'm still processing my own feelings. I am fortunate to have access to one of the world's most comprehensive safety nets, should I be unable to continue, he explained.
Another employee, an immigrant, expressed significant anxiety.
– We are deeply worried and stressed, having invested considerable time and money to be here. We are committed to staying in Sweden, he stated, and continued:
– We are immigrants, and we adhere to every law with respect. What do we receive in return? We have applied for hundreds of jobs, only to be rejected repeatedly.
The bankruptcy trustee has announced that notifications regarding employment status will commence tomorrow, Tuesday. However, one employee urgently requested earlier communication.
– They must inform us today who will be retained. Please, do not delay. The worry and anxiety are taking a severe toll on us, he pleaded.
UPDATE: Mon: 15:05:
Kristina Sundin Jonsson: An emotional day
– It is profoundly sad news that we are receiving today. This is once again an emotional day for those who are primarily affected, but in the short term, it will be tough for Skellefteå, stated city manager, Kristina Sundin Jonsson.
Kristina Sundin Jonsson, city manager.
She emphasised that it will slow down Skellefteå's development.
– We are losing residents. We are facing a challenging housing situation. This will significantly impact our local and regional business community, she explained.
She maintained that the municipality's finances are sound, and that other municipalities would have faced considerable difficulty managing the situation.
– Risk sharing remains a critical discussion point if Sweden is to remain an attractive investment destination, said Kristina Sundin Jonsson.
UPDATE: Mon: 14:20
At 14:20, bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu released an official statement regarding today's announcement. He stated that intensive negotiations had been conducted with 'key stakeholders' concerning financial guarantees for continued operations.
"The ongoing operations within the bankruptcy framework will retain approximately 1,700 employees from the bankrupt companies. Furthermore, personnel will be employed at foreign subsidiaries," he wrote.
Northvolt's bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu.
"Remaining staff will be placed on leave, with notifications being sent to laid-off individuals beginning tomorrow."
The bankruptcy trustee did not specify the number of these 1,700 positions located in Skellefteå.
However, Norran's sources indicate it is approximately 1,200. According to Norran's prior reports, Northvolt Ett in Skellefteå employed nearly 3,000 people in January 2025.
Trustee Kubu further commented that the workforce reductions, while significant, are partially beneficial.
"Despite substantial cutbacks, the continuation of operations, even in a reduced capacity, is a positive development and likely crucial for facilitating the sale of the business, either wholly or partially," he stated.
UPDATE: Mon: 14:10
More reactions from employees.
– They have already made the decision on who will continue - those people who are being laid off will start getting emails by the end of today.
– They need to tell us today who gets to stay. Don't delay. The worry and anxiety is killing us.
UPDATE: Mon: 13:20
Two more Norran sources have confirmed the basic details of the meeting.
– We will continue production on a small scale; all those who will continue will receive an agreement with the bankruptcy estate. All others will be laid off.
– It was basically to reduce the operations, and keep a minimal workforce. In a couple of days they will start to send messages to people who will be laid off.
UPDATE: Mon: 12:50
At the 30-minute meeting, which started at 12:00 on Monday, it was announced that 1,200 people will remain at the factory in Skellefteå, according to sources to Norran.
– Within the next few days, you will receive a message whether you should go home or stay. You will be completely exempt from work according to the message, a source tells Norran.
– Those who remain will work and keep production going. The rest will be given a date to finish, says the same source.
Today they continue to work as usual.
– It's just a matter of continuing to work as usual, but it won't be easy to focus when you have this on your mind, says the source.
Exactly how many people work at the factory today is unclear, but in January, Northvolt Ett's CEO Markus Dangelmaier told Norran that they had nearly 3,000 employees at the factory in Skellefteå.
UPDATE: Mon: 12:20
Skellefteå municipality, Länsstyrelsen i Västerbotten, Region Västerbotten, and Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service) have called a press conference in response to today’s announcement from Northvolt.
The press conference will be held at 14:30 and can be followed live on norran.se.
Participants include municipal commissioner Lorents Burman (S), county governor Helene Hellmark Knutsson, regional commissioner Rickard Carstedt (S), municipal director Kristina Sundin Jonsson, and employment agency director Anders Eriksson.
UPDATE: Mon: 12:00
A decision on how the bankrupt Northvolt Ett will continue operating while awaiting a potential new buyer is expected today. This is reported by Ekot, which has been in contact with bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kubu. According to Ekot, the decision will first be communicated internally within the company before being shared with the media.
At the same time, Dagens Industri reports that the decision means "around half of the 3,000 employees at Northvolt's factory in Skellefteå will have to leave," according to their sources.
According to information obtained by Norran, the staff meeting is scheduled for 12:00 today.
This article will be updated.