The Mission: Getting a Thousand Laid-Off Workers to Stay

After the battery manufacturer Northvolt's massive layoff notice on Monday, the municipality is mobilizing to get those who are laid off to stay. We will do everything we can to try to catch them, says municipal director Kristina Sundin Jonsson.

» Updated:

» Published:

The Mission: Getting a Thousand Laid-Off Workers to Stay
Photo: Gustav Sjöholm/TT

Share this article

Skellefteå has grown rapidly in recent years. Every week, 50-100 people moved into the municipality last year, about a third of them from abroad.

It's clear that Northvolt has been a huge injection for Skellefteå, which has meant a lot for our extremely strong population growth. But we usually say that this journey started earlier, says Kristina Sundin Jonsson, municipal director.

She was prepared for Monday's massive layoff warning. A heavy message.

Naturally, this was a very sad message for Skellefteå and not least for the people who may be affected. 1,000 people in a layoff warning is an extremely high number, she says.

The Right Time and Place

At the same time, it's possible that the layoff warning comes at the right place at the right time. During the year, unemployment has fallen below 3 percent. With the help of the county administrative board, the Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, other authorities, the business community, and civil society, they will try to keep the laid-off workers in the region.

We see that we really need this workforce. We have major needs in the welfare sector. We have an industry that is crying out for labor. So we will do everything we can to try to catch them.

The municipality also needs to hire and, according to Sundin Jonsson, may be able to absorb some of the laid-off workers.

Absolutely. We have major needs, for example, in healthcare and care, she says, adding that adult education is already activated, and that they are in dialogue with other educational actors.

We'll see the willingness of those who are laid off, of course. But we will try all means.

Requires Education

And what does it take for a battery worker from Northvolt to be able to work in home care or elderly care?

It requires basic education and language skills. Now, most of them are English-speaking, which may also facilitate, she says.

Many Skellefteå residents are wondering what will happen to all the construction projects, and the housing prices that have skyrocketed.

Still, it's happening that people are moving to Skellefteå every week. One of our big problems and challenges is the significant housing shortage we actually have. Next year, we had a forecast that only about a couple of hundred would be built, and we would need maybe 800-1,000. Right now, we're mainly struggling to catch up with housing construction, says Kristina Sundin Jonsson.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Bank of England Keeps Interest Rate Steady at 4.0 Percent

Bank of England Keeps Interest Rate Steady at 4.0 Percent

Novo Nordisk Shares Surge 5% After Positive Ozempic Study Results

Novo Nordisk Shares Surge 5% After Positive Ozempic Study Results

Energy Talks End Without Agreement; Government Considers Offshore Wind Support

Energy Talks End Without Agreement; Government Considers Offshore Wind Support

Norway Central Bank Reduces Interest Rate to 4.0 Percent

Norway Central Bank Reduces Interest Rate to 4.0 Percent

Stockholm Stock Exchange Rises After US Interest Rate Cut

Stockholm Stock Exchange Rises After US Interest Rate Cut

Billerud to Cut Up to 650 Jobs Amid Cost-Saving Measures

Billerud to Cut Up to 650 Jobs Amid Cost-Saving Measures

Reduced Benefits Linked to Poorer School Results and Increased Crime

Reduced Benefits Linked to Poorer School Results and Increased Crime

Swedish Companies Face Record 12-Quarter Economic Slump

Swedish Companies Face Record 12-Quarter Economic Slump

Asian Stocks Rise Following US Fed Interest Rate Cut

Asian Stocks Rise Following US Fed Interest Rate Cut

Blackstone to Invest £90 Billion in UK Projects Over Next Decade

Blackstone to Invest £90 Billion in UK Projects Over Next Decade

Wall Street Mixed as Fed Cuts Interest Rate but Signals Caution

Wall Street Mixed as Fed Cuts Interest Rate but Signals Caution

Fed Lowers Interest Rate by 0.25 Points, Signals More Cuts This Year

Fed Lowers Interest Rate by 0.25 Points, Signals More Cuts This Year

China Urges Tech Giants to Halt Nvidia AI Chip Purchases

China Urges Tech Giants to Halt Nvidia AI Chip Purchases

Jerry Greenfield Departs Ben & Jerry's, Citing Silencing by Unilever

Jerry Greenfield Departs Ben & Jerry's, Citing Silencing by Unilever

Avanza Introduces Digital Trading on London Stock Exchange

Avanza Introduces Digital Trading on London Stock Exchange

Uber Introduces Safari Tours in Kenya's Nairobi National Park

Uber Introduces Safari Tours in Kenya's Nairobi National Park

Swedish Inflation Expectations Rise Slightly in Latest Survey

Swedish Inflation Expectations Rise Slightly in Latest Survey

Sweden's Unemployment Rate Stays High in August

Sweden's Unemployment Rate Stays High in August

Stockholm Stock Exchange Sees Modest Gain Led by H&M

Stockholm Stock Exchange Sees Modest Gain Led by H&M

Verisure Returns to Stockholm Stock Exchange with Major Listing

Verisure Returns to Stockholm Stock Exchange with Major Listing