Swedish News:

More seniors surfing the net. Three of four jobs to foreign born. Sweden’s most powerful. 

  • Older Swedes are surfing the net more frequently today than in 2010.

  • More seniors surfing the net
    More older Swedes are surfing the net. Seventy six percent of those between the ages of 61 and 75 say they use the Internet at least once a week, according to a survey by PTS (the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority), which compares to the 69 percent that reported doing so in 2010.

  • Here he is—the most powerful person in Sweden: Minister for Finance, Anders Borg. Writes Fokus: "The other departments are obsolete and the banks are frightened. (Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt) lets this politician, who has never performed in an election, do whatever he wants. Power in Sweden in 2013 belongs to the one who's just been to the hair dresser." (Anders Borg recently cut off his pony tail).

  • Three of four jobs to foreign born
    Since 2006, three of four new jobs have gone to people born outside Sweden. This increase has to do mostly with the increase in jobs within the service sector. But unemployment among people born abroad has also increased. The total number of employed people in Sweden has increased by almost 260,000 to 4,786,000 for the third quarter of 2013. Persons born abroad account for nearly 760,000, according to Statistics Sweden. However employment is still lower among those born abroad than those born in Sweden, the number of employed persons among foreign-borns has hardly increased at all. And the unemployment among foreign-borns has increased. During the seven years between 2006 and 2013, it has increased from 11.9 to 15.7 percent. Tord Strannefors, director of prognosis at Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish Public Employment Service) explains: "A great number of people have come from other countries, it’s as simple as that.” Among those born in Sweden, the unemployment has gone from 5.5 to 5.6 percent. According to Strannefors, many of the new jobs that have been created are in the private sector, where people born abroad by tradition have had an easier, or at least less difficult, time getting employed. "The hotel and restaurant business, for instance, have increased heavily. And the same goes for personal favors like masseurs, hair dressers ... things that have to do with our well-being. But even more qualified jobs, such as doctors, have increased in numbers.”

  • Fredrik Reinfeldt, Sweden’s Prime Minister, is the second most powerful person in Sweden. Photo: Magnus Fröderberg

  • Sweden’s most powerful
    The magazine Fokus has ranked Sweden’s 100 most powerful people. Let’s have a look at the top 20 for 2013.
    1. Anders Borg, Minister for Finance
    2. Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister
    3. Stefan Löfven, leader of the Social Democratic Party
    4. Stefan Ingves, governor of Sveriges Riksbank
    5. Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats
    6. Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, president of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen LO)
    7. Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs
    8. Jan Björklund, Minister for Education
    9. Magdalena Andersson, economist and politician. Member of the Social Democratic Party.
    10. Anna Kindberg Batra, Parliamentary Group Leader of the Moderates
    11. Peter Norman, Minister for Financial Markets
    12. Birgitta Ohlsson, Minister for European Union Affairs
    13. Marcus Wallenberg, banker and industrialist
    14. Göran Hägglund, Minister for Health and Social Affairs
    15. Anders Sundström, politician, Social Democrat
    16. Gustav Fridolin, spokesperson for the Green Party
    17. Sverker Martin-Löf, industrialist
    18. Annie Lööf, Minister for Enterprise
    19. Jonas Sjöstedt, chairperson for the Left Party
    20. Fredrik Lundberg, businessman
    For the entire list, see http://www.fokus.se/2013/11/sveriges-100-maktigaste-2013/