The private service sector has been hit hardest, with over five percent of all jobs in the hotel and restaurant industry affected. This sector accounts for almost half of all redundancies, the Public Employment Service's head analyst Annika Sundén told a press conference.
“Household consumption in this area has almost disappeared,” she said, with citizens all but having stopped going out for dinner, going to hotels, and even getting haircuts. “The staffing sector is also hard hit, as well as transport and trade.”
Sweden has a safety net in place to support people who get sick or lose their jobs, and the government has introduced extra measures to deal with the extraordinary situation.
Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday: “We'll never be able to save all jobs and companies. People will be unemployed and companies will go bankrupt. We have a very serious economic situation.”
But for those who have lost their jobs, or otherwise been affected by the coronavirus, there are various options and ways to get support. Here's a look at the different options for employees whose jobs in Sweden have been affected.
Employment Agency analyst Annika Sundén. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
I decided to work from home. Will I get paid as usual?
Only if your employer agreed the change with you. Employees cannot independently determine if they can work from home or not.
However, the Public Health Agency has recommended that everyone who can work from home should do so, and has called on employers to ensure this happens.
If you are healthy, your employer has the right to require you to be at your workplace, and as an employee you could face serious consequences of going against these requirements. Instead, the best action to take is to speak to your manager, HR manager, or union representative.
Different rules apply to those who have fallen ill or who have another legitimate reason to stay at home, for example because you are caring for a sick child or if you can have a doctor's note stating you are especially vulnerable to contracting the virus.
My employer has asked me to stay at home, but I can't do my job from home. Will I get paid?
Yes, you should. Your employer is entitled to require you to stay at home if they believe there is a risk of you spreading infection at your workplace, for example.
If you're available to work, in other words if you would be able to do the work if you were allowed, you are entitled to receive your salary even if your employer has asked you to stay home, as long as this is the decision of the employer themselves and not a recommendation from Swedish authorities. That's still true for people who cannot perform all, or even any, of their work duties from home.
I am sick. Will I still receive my salary?
Yes, that is, in part. Your sick pay amounts to 80 percent of your income, and you report your absence to your employer.
Under temporary regulations proposed by the government, the sick pay includes the first day of illness (known as karensdag which is usually unpaid in Sweden). You have to retroactively apply to Försäkringskassan, the Swedish authority for social security, for the first day of sick pay.
But for the first day of sickness, slightly different rules apply. The first day's sick pay will not be quite as high as typical sick pay for many workers. All employees will receive 700 kronor before tax on the first day of sickness while all self-employed people will receive 804 kronor before tax, regardless of their salary.
This temporary measure will be in place between March 11th and May 31st.
Another temporary measure by the government means that you are allowed to receive sick pay without a doctor's note during the first 21 days of your illness (usually you would need such a note after two weeks).
Although the measures were proposed on the back of the coronavirus outbreak, they apply to all illnesses, so you will not have to test positive for the coronavirus in order to be eligible for these benefits.
If you are well enough to work, but a doctor believes there is a risk of you spreading the coronavirus infection to other people if you do, you may be entitled to so-called disease carrier allowance.
I have been made redundant. Can I apply for unemployment benefits?
Sweden has unemployment funds called arbetslöshetskassa or a-kassa, and millions of workers pay into these funds which offer income-based unemployment insurance if you use your job.
Under previous rules, workers had to be a member of a fund for 12 months before they could receive benefits of up to 80 percent of their previous salary (capped at 910 kronor a day), and needed to have worked at least 80 hours per month for at least six months beforehand to be eligible. Anyone who did not meet these requirements would previously receive only the basic level of benefits, up to 365 kronor a day.
Now, employees only need to have worked a minimum of 60 hours per month, and will be entitled to the full compensation after only three months as a member. The reason is that many of the people hit by the lay-offs caused by the outbreak were in precarious employment, such as seasonal or part-time work.
The salary cap and minimum amount have also both been temporarily raised. This means that for the first 100 days, the maximum amount a person can receive will be raised to 1,200 kronor per day (depending on your salary). And the basic benefits will be raised to 510 kronor a day.
To be eligible for benefits you need to be unemployed, you need to have registered at Arbetsförmedlingen, the Swedish public employment service, and you should be actively searching for a job. Note that you need to register at Arbetsförmedlingen on the first day of your unemployment.
Here you can find the a-kassa you are a member of, or decide which one you want to join. You apply for compensation through their respective websites.
Employment Minister Eva Nordmark and Business Minister Ibrahim Baylan. Photo: Henrik Säll/TT
I am working reduced hours, or I have been laid off temporarily because there is no work to do. What support can I get?
If you are employed and you are still at your employer's disposal, that is, you are available and able to work, but your working hours have been affected by the crisis, you are entitled to (the best part of) your salary.
Many companies and employers have a hard time staying afloat as a consequence of a lack of customers or because they can no longer get hold of goods necessary for the continuation of the production process.
In order for businesses to keep their staff and be able to get up and running as soon as the worst of the crisis has blown over, the government has decided on new regulations and allowances concerning korttidsarbete or short-term layoffs.
If you are an employee having received a notice of short-term layoff or reduced working hours, you are entitled to around 90 percent of your usual income, which you should receive from your employer. You cannot apply for unemployment benefits from a-kassan, as you are not formally unemployed.
Your employer can apply for support at Tillväxtverket and can receive compensation for up to 53 percent of their employees' salaries from the state. Employers can apply for this so-called korttidspermittering from April 7th onwards, and receive compensation retroactively dating back to March 16th.
I want to find a new job. Will that be possible?
Despite the high unemployment numbers, there's still a demand for manpower in several sectors.
According to Annika Sundén, head of analysis at Arbetsförmedlingen, the healthcare sector has the most job openings by far, but there is also a need for jobs such as cashiers and warehouse staff.
The government is exploring ways to efficiently retrain those who have been made redundant in order for them to become qualified for those sectors where there is a staffing shortage.
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