Last week, almost 16,000 people signed up as job seekers around the country - almost 6,000 more in the same period last year. It has been mainly people under 30 who have registered at the Employment Service. The reason is that there are fewer summer jobs due to the corona pandemic and that vacancies were filled by older people who became unemployed during the year.

- Our assessment is that unemployment among young people will be 13 per cent this year and just over 15 per cent in 2021, says Sandra Offesson, labor market analyst at the Swedish Employment Service, in a press release.

Since March 1, 1,591 people have been notified of dismissal in Gävleborg County.

Affected companies should receive assistance

It is mainly small and medium-sized businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic. The Gävleborg region has therefore allocated SEK 15 million for restructuring aid to enable the companies to meet the crisis. So far, 28 companies in the county that have applied for support have had them approved, a total of about SEK 2 million.

- The warning in the wake of the pandemic first appeared in the tourism and visitor industries. However, one industry that was affected early in the pandemic was the automotive industry. The forecast in the Sandvik Materials Technology business area means that a very important regional industrial industry is now being hit, says regional board chairman Eva Lindberg (S) in a press release.