Oh I ****ing love sweden

[kirovman]

The problem is when they pay for so much that people are disinclined to work.

I bet they get way better value for money than us in the UK.

 

[Beerdude26]

Sweden is fine if you enjoy living in one of the most heavily-taxed nations in the developed world.

Its so socialist it might as well be communist.

Belgium gets taxed to shit aswell, but we get exquisite free health care. Even anti-HIV cocktails are reimbursed here (around 1,000? per month per person).

 

[Parrot of doom]

^ Is that why we have nearly half the unemployment rate of the EU average, despite having some of the highest taxes in the union?

O RLY?

 

[Parrot of doom]

Belgium gets taxed to shit aswell, but we get exquisite free health care. Even anti-HIV cocktails are reimbursed here (around 1,000? per month per person).

Newsflash - it isn't free. If you live there, you're paying for it.

 

[Social Bacon]

"The controversy surrounding Edling's report centres on his interpretation of the 700,000 Swedes who are either on long-term sick leave or in early retirement. Edling asks how many of these people are in fact unemployed."

Yes, these people are unemployed. But not due to a lack of jobs in the country, which is what unemployment is really measuring. So no, I don't think these people should be added on top of the 5% unemployed.

 

[The Monkey]

O RLY?

That was 2,5 years ago. We have a new government now that isn't in bed with LO, and our unemployment rate will soon be below 4%.

 

[Parrot of doom]

"The controversy surrounding Edling's report centres on his interpretation of the 700,000 Swedes who are either on long-term sick leave or in early retirement. Edling asks how many of these people are in fact unemployed."

Yes, these people are unemployed. But not due to a lack of jobs in the country, which is what unemployment is really measuring. So no, I don't think these people should be added on top of the 5% unemployed.

If they're not working, they're not employed. They are therefore unemployed.

Its really quite simple to a layman, however a government will always seek to massage the figures to its own benefit, which is why people claiming disability benefits are not included in unemployment figures - when in reality they are unemployed.

I'm quite surprised anyone would trust a government's figures in this regard.

 

[Parrot of doom]

That was 2,5 years ago. We have a new government now that isn't in bed with LO, and our unemployment rate will soon be below 4%.

Doesn't answer the question though, does it?

 

[Stigmata]

If they're not working, they're not employed. They are therefore unemployed.

Its really quite simple to a layman, however a government will always seek to massage the figures to its own benefit, which is why people claiming disability benefits are not included in unemployment figures - when in reality they are unemployed.

I'm quite surprised anyone would trust a government's figures in this regard.

The Illuminati did it.

*puts on tin foil hat*

 

[The Monkey]

Doesn't answer the question though, does it?

It's not like the statistic were hidden, it's just that LO choose to present them in a different way. And it's not like LO, an unbrella organisation of trade unions, actually can stop a report from being published.

 

[Cheomesh]

Sounds like Sweedens government is like any other western government.

Kudos to Monkey for sticking up for it. I like that.

 

[The Monkey]

^ Nah, I don't agree with what they did, but it's not exaxtly a big deal.

 

[HunterSeeker]

Its not like its clear who should be considered unemployed either, if your goal is to reduce unemployment and consider those that are on longterm sickleave unemployed should they not be on longterm sickleave if they need to? Should they be forced to work at expense of their health?

 

[kirovman]

New Labour has also put unemployment figures down by hiring loads of public pencil pushers into a huge bureaucracy (which does not seem to add any value). I'd rather pay for them to not work.