How to get more people into jobs - "Arbetsförmedlingen does not use methods we know work"

Annika Sundén is an associate professor of Economics and was Arbetsförmedlingen's head of analysis for over five years.

But in January this year, she chose to resign due to her dissatisfaction with the authority's work with long-term unemployed people. 

- The employment service does not use the methods we know work, she says. 

During their time as head of analysis, they could quite quickly see good results from the pilot project Gender Equality.

After two years, one third of the participants had gotten jobs, about 30 percent more than those outside the program.  

But when the pilot project's time period had expired, the Swedish Public Employment Service returned to its previous way of working, according to Sundén.

Then she chose to leave.  

“Multiple efforts at once”  

What made the project successful was the focus on mapping the individual's abilities and interests rather than formal education and official work experience.  

- For many people who have come to Sweden, they may have low education and short or no work experience at all.

Then it is important to map out what a person can do and be the network the individual lacks, says Sundén.

How does the Swedish Public Employment Service work today? 

- It's about working with the initiatives at the same time - training initiatives, mapping abilities, at the same time as the unemployed get a chance to be out in a workplace.

That they get internships close to the workplace or subsidized employment at an early stage.

It requires a collaboration between the municipality, the employment service and the employer.

But that is not the way the Swedish Public Employment Service works today.

The current head of analysis, Anders Ljungberg, says that there is planning work to bring the project work method into the regular work, but that funding is required as it is a personnel-intensive way of working.  

How do you view the criticism? 

- We always make a labor market policy assessment and then we try to make an assessment of what is the right effort for the individual.

It often requires a chain of efforts, he says.  

Hear Annika Sundén tell more in the video.