The survey was carried out by SIFO Research International for Företagarna, the Swedish association of small businesses.

According to the poll, the ongoing lack of simplified regulations is the biggest sore point for small business owners, despite government claims to have been actively working on the problem since coming to power in 2006.

According to Företagarna’s managing director Anna-Stina Nordmark Nilsson, small businesses are at the forefront of growth and new jobs in Sweden and deserve better, “the Alliance government should be forced to work on this during the summer holidays.”

Lisa Wärn, a spokesperson at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, told The Local that Minister for Enterprise Maud Olofsson “hadn’t commented on the poll as she is in meetings all day.”

Small business owners continue to harbor high hopes that the government will make reforms within taxation. Nearly every third business owner expects improvements regarding taxation, regulations and labor costs in the future.

However, most business owners have absolutely no faith in the government’s intentions to make user friendly reforms within employment law and insurance.

The poll was conducted with 4300 randomly selected companies throughout Sweden. The companies’ size varied from one to 49 employees.