Nordic Labour Journal

09/06/2026

Sunniva Johanna Troll Imhof is at home on parental leave with her second child. Being a self-employed physiotherapist brings greater economic uncertainty than if she had been permanently employed.

In Norway, it is far more common for physiotherapists to be self-employed.

She calls going self-employed a “semi-conscious choice”.

“I like the freedom. When you work in a clinic you also have a lot of freedom in the treatment room.”

“I don’t think I would have been happy as a municipal employee. Being self-employed allows me to work in the way I want and to stand by my values.”

Read the full story “You can’t afford to be ill when you run your own business” in our theme about self-employed workers.
https://bit.ly/4dVPNkp

08/06/2026

Social Democrat Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen returns to her role as Minister for Employment in Denmark.

She will also be responsible for gender equality in the new government.

Social Democrat Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen returns to her role as Minister for Employment in Denmark. She will also be responsible for gender equality in the new government.

04/06/2026

On the Suomenlinna island outside Helsinki, Nordic artists, culture workers and institutions meet as resources dwindle and working conditions get harder.

Despite budget cuts, cooperation is growing, as is a shared conviction that culture is not a luxury but part of the Nordic region’s resilience. Suomenlinna’s role as a fortress is relevant again.

Anna Schroderus and Esko Kurvinen are glass artists, and run Glas Studio Hytti. They combine glass production, training and sales to make the business work.

Journalist Bengt Östling and photographer Cata Portin visited Suomenlinna island. Read their story: Nordic culture exercise its resilience on fortress island of Suomenlinna

https://bit.ly/4dXBUkw

01/06/2026

Icelanders go to the polls in an EU referendum on 29 August after months of fierce political debate, although the vote is only about whether to restart membership talks.

The outcome is expected to be tight.

New story from journalist Hallgrímur Indriðason: “Iceland votes on EU membership talks on 29 August with fisheries looming large”
https://bit.ly/4dIbV1I

28/05/2026

Nordic Labour Journal has published a new theme – this time about what it’s really like to be self-employed.

It’s not the same as having a permanent job.

The Nordic countries have a significantly lower share of self-employed workers than the EU average, according to Eurostat. Norway actually has the lowest percentage of all countries surveyed, around 4 percent.

Could that be one reason why self-employed workers struggle to be heard when calling for better job security, welfare benefits and pension rights?

Several of the people we interviewed say that the lack of security and welfare arrangements is the biggest challenge.

Still, many choose this path for the same reason as DJ and inclusion consultant Laura Astrid Colstrup in Copenhagen:

“I choose freedom.”

Journalist Marie Preisler tells the story about Laura's life as self-employed, including how she juggles no less than four jobs!
https://bit.ly/4vc0x3I

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27/05/2026

“We are about to become a sedentary and overweight population who spend too much time in front of a screen,” warns Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Research shows that just a few minutes of activity during a working day means lower sickness absence, better work environments and increased well-being.

In Norway corporate sport encouraging an active working life.

Read full story from Norway in our theme “Workplace meeting points”.
https://bit.ly/4fbCWM4

26/05/2026

A checklist is set to make it easier to uncover breaches pointing to work-related crime and exploitation. Too many ticks, and the alarm should sound.

The tool has been developed as part of the Nordic research project INTEGRATE.

The fact sheet and checklist are results from conversations held in several focus groups where more than 70 experts from the whole of the Nordic region have participated.

“The idea behind our project is to look at the connections between health, occupational health and safety, labour crime and labour exploitation.”

“The checklist allows the users to tick several boxes. If there are enough ticks, you might ask yourself whether the problem is bigger than just a work environment issue and perhaps part of a bigger one – labour exploitation?”, says Natalia Ollus, the director of HEUNI in Helsinki.

Read our article ” A new tool in the fight against labour crime”
https://bit.ly/4uxLCRx

21/05/2026

Despite the importance of lifelong learning, it remains underfunded. According to a new report from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), many countries spend far too little on adult education.

The report “Lifelong learning and skills for the future” is based on employee surveys, analysis of online job vacancies, institutional data and a review of 174 studies of what works in training.

Read our article about the report “New ILO report: More investment in lifelong learning needed”

https://bit.ly/49hf5XA

19/05/2026

A 2023 work environment survey uncovered poor wellbeing and demanding conditions among kindergarten and primary school staff.

Three years of targeted efforts to change workplace culture has led to improved atmospheres and work environments, says Sigrún Gunnarsdóttir, professor at the University of Iceland.

Similar initiatives will now be introduced to Iceland’s healthcare sector.

Journalist Hallgrímur Indriðason tells the story “Icelandic school project offers blueprint for better workplace culture” in our theme ““Workplace meeting points”.
https://bit.ly/4eVpyvs

18/05/2026

In Finland, it is expected that half a million people will need new or updated skills in the coming years. Work is now underway to build a national system for lifelong learning.

There are currently a range of projects for lifelong learning in Finland, financed by EFS+, the EU fund for financing more and better jobs.

The Finnish education directorate has been tasked with gathering everyone in one joint system, explains an article published by the Nordic Network for Lifelong Learning.

Read more about it in our article “Developing a cookbook for lifelong learning”
https://bit.ly/3PoCtf2