The corona virus hits hard on Sweden's cultural players. The government's meeting restrictions on public gatherings of up to 500 people mean that events and gigs are canceled, and that many cultural creators are left without a job.

Over the past two weeks, pressure has increased on the Swedish Employment Agency's cultural media, as the number of enrollments has increased significantly compared to the same period in 2019.

- The effects of the corona virus, which is very clear, are that the current enrollment is about three to five times more than it normally is with us. March and April are usually quiet months. We believe it will continue in the same way in the coming weeks, "Kevni Zulal, head of the Labor Media Culture Media Unit, tells Culture News.

"We are getting ready"

The unemployed who enroll now come from the areas Word and Media, Image and Form and Stage and Tone. More than 60 percent come from the Scene and Tone area, as actors and film workers, says Kevni Zulal.

- As a job seeker, you must be prepared to take jobs outside the cultural sector, for example in healthcare that is in great need of people now.

If many people do not have the right to a cash register and there are few jobs to convey in the cultural sector right now, what can AF culture media help with?

- You can get support and coaching in job search and matching.

A new crisis package was presented

For several years, organizations such as Klys and the Journalists' Association have warned that many cultural workers, who are self-employed or so-called combinators, fall outside the social security systems.

The rules that apply today are that if you are self-employed then you must close down your company in order to be entitled to a cash register. If you want to start the company again, it must be dormant for five years before you can get a cash register.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson (S) presented a crisis package aimed at Sweden's entrepreneurs, where, among other things, it was proposed that companies that are put to rest during unemployment be exempted from the rule that companies may only be put to rest once for five years.