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Small drop in unemployment in Denmark: report

A slight drop in unemployment levels in Denmark was not enough to change the overall employment figure for the country from its current level of 4.3 percent.

Published: 30 November 2017 11:19 CET
Small drop in unemployment in Denmark: report
File photo: Torben Åndahl/Polfot/Ritzau

Figures from stats agency Statistics Denmark showed the small reduction in the total number of people out of work, reports news agency Ritzau.

The total figure dropped by 700 people between September and October and now stands at 116,400 full-time workers.

That figure is not quite enough to impact the statistic as a percentage, which remains at 4.3 percent unemployment.

But October did see the third consecutive month in which unemployment fell, with employers voicing concerns that unemployed people are taking too long to return to the jobs market.

“The receding drop in unemployment is a sign that there are increasing problems with regard to getting the remaining labour pool to apply for work, even though the opportunities for employment are almost historically favourable,” Peter Halkjær, chief political consultant on labour market issues with the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv) told Ritzau.

Both the Confederation of Danish Industry and Confederation of Danish Employers have responded similarly to the trend, according to Ritzau’s report, saying that businesses in Denmark are short of labour.

The Danish Economic Council of the Labour Movement (Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd) called for a measured approach to the figures.

“Of all unemployed people in a given quarter, almost a third are in work by the following quarter. No other countries in the EU get as many people into jobs as we do here,” the council’s head economist Erik Bjørsted told Ritzau.

Bjørsted added that the labour market is no longer in favour of employers as it was during the height of the global financial crisis.

Anders Christian Overvad, an ecomonist with Danish bank Arbejdernes Landsbank, said that a ‘bottle neck’ in the labour market could result in its overheating.

“Wage increases are rising but are still moderate. That is to a great extent due to the fact that available labour is continually growing as a resulted of already-ratified job reforms and the access to foreign labour. These things combine to take the top of the pressure off the labour market,” Overvad told Ritzau.

During the first six months of 2017, Denmark’s unemployment level stayed at 4.3 percent, before jumping to 4.5 percent in July. That increase may though have been connected to the way the figure is measured, according to Statistics Denmark.

READ ALSO: Danish labour market under maximum pressure: report

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How much Danish do you need to learn to get a job in Denmark?

Learning a new language like Danish is a process that can take years. So at what level can you test out your new skills and apply for a job in Danish? We spoke to a language teacher to find out.

Published: 8 May 2024 15:38 CEST
How much Danish do you need to learn to get a job in Denmark?

There are many international companies in Denmark where the workplace language is English – opening up opportunities to many nationalities who want to live and work in Denmark. However for some professions, a certain level of Danish is a requirement and for others, working in Danish opens up more doors.

“The level we say you need to get a job is to have passed the Prøve i Dansk 3 (PD3), which is the official exam by the Ministry of Education. It is equivalent to the B2 European Framework level,” Maria-Sophie Schmidt, language consultant at Studieskolen’s private Danish department told The Local.

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard for describing language ability. It uses a six-point scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, where C2 is for those who are advanced and fluent in the language. It means employers and educational institutions can easily assess language abilities.

“When you pass Prøve i Dansk 3 and are B2 level, you’re not completely fluent but you can function in Danish and read newspaper articles in Danish. Usually I say B2 level is like a driver’s license we give you on your Danish. So you can drive a car but if you want to be a really good driver, you have to go practice in traffic. So after PD3 and with practice and with help perhaps, you should be able to write an application in Danish and go through an interview,” Schmidt said.

“PD3 will always help you get a job because companies appreciate you have the certificate. There’s a worry for some companies that you aren’t fluent.

“It is also helpful because Danes like to socialise in our workplaces such as at julfrokost (Christmas lunch) or fredagsbar (Friday afternoon drinks) and some are uncomfortable having to change their language to English all the time, maybe because we don’t feel we speak it well enough. So if you come as a foreigner and have a certificate of Prøve i Dansk 3, I think it’s a big advantage,” Schmidt added.

Foreign dentists and doctors need to have passed Prøve i dansk 3, as well as other professional tests before being able to start an evaluation period of working. 

However there are some sectors where passing the Danish language exam isn’t a requirement. Due to current pressure on hospital waiting times in Denmark, nurses outside of the EU are no longer asked to pass Prøve i dansk 3. Instead, they can demonstrate their Danish language ability, in line with the requirements used for nurses from EU and EEA countries. This includes a six-month probation period where Danish communication skills are assessed.

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The construction industry and engineering, as well as hospitality are other sectors where Danish language skills won’t necessarily need to be B2 level or need certification. But whether or not you require the Prøve i Dansk 3 certificate, practicing Danish is the key to gaining confidence in the Danish workplace.

“Sign up for a language course or sign up to a sports club and surround yourself with Danish language. Insist on speaking Danish and if you know anyone speaking native Danish, ask to have a coffee and practice your Danish. If you have kids and meet other parents, speak Danish, or volunteer at somewhere like a nursing home,” Schmidt suggested.

READ ALSO:

Language schools offer a Module 6 course, called Studieprøve to get to C1 level. Here you learn to read, write and speak more academic Danish. It is a requirement for those wanting to study in Danish but you don’t need it for a job.

“At Studieskolen we offer Classes after PD3 – a conversation class at B2 and C1 level where you don’t focus on grammar and writing but on speaking relevant topics in society such as what’s going on now, newspaper articles, TV shows and practice speaking to colleagues in small talk and more complicated conversations. PD3 is a driver’s license but you often can’t join a conversation spontaneously or you may lack confidence and vocabulary, so those classes help that.”

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