"It is a systematic withdrawal of the state from large parts of the country, with clear consequences for the labor market," says Peter Hellberg, chairman of Unionen, in a press release.
In 83 municipalities, the Public Employment Service is completely absent, and the distance to the nearest office has increased in 271 of the country's 290 municipalities since restructuring began, writes the union's newspaper Kollega.
According to Unionen, this results in fewer physical meetings and poorer personal support and matching between companies and job seekers.
Private actors have been given greater responsibility. But in sparsely populated areas there are often neither employment offices nor private actors.
