Sweden is facing labour force shortages, and individuals from around the world migrate to Sweden for work. At the same time, the framework upholding labour migration to Sweden rarely function without friction, neither for employers nor employees. This is illustrated in a new report from Delmi on the seasonal migration of Thai berry pickers to Sweden.
The report investigates a system that enables the berry pickers to increase their normal income manyfold by picking wild berries during a summer in Sweden. At the same time, lack of transparency leads to high costs and risks being transferred to the berry pickers themselves. Their income often falls short of the base income, in principle guaranteed by collective agreements.
The report is written by Charlotta Hedberg (associate professor, Umeå University), Linn Axelsson (research fellow, Stockholm University), and Manolo Abella (chair, Technical Working Group on Labour Migration of KNOMAD, World Bank).
Picture by Tim Mossholder from Unsplash.
The picture on the report by Robert Henriksson / DN / TT.