Sweden's Changing Labor Market & Primary Sector

• The labor market is always changing, as exemplified by Sweden.
• There has been a decline in agriculture and forestry jobs in rich countries over the last 100 years.
• Industry jobs increased, before decreasing again in the last 25–30 years.
• Most people now work in the service sector, and it's becoming more important.

Primary Sector

• Only about 1.2% of Sweden's working population works in agriculture.
• Agriculture in Sweden produces just over half of the food consumed with the rest being imported.
• Sweden also exports food, like pork, butter, and grain.
• Seventy-five years ago, a quarter of Sweden's workforce worked in agriculture.
• The number of farms has decreased from around 300,000 to just over 60,000.
• Cultivated land has decreased by a fifth.
• Plant and animal breeding have contributed to increased production.
• Farms have become larger and more efficient via machinery and fertilizers.
• E-services are the latest major change for agriculture.
• Digitalization is making agriculture, meat, and dairy production more efficient and environmentally friendly.
• Digitalization also makes cooperation with the food industry more efficient.
• Satellite images can provide data on fertilizer needs for different fields.
• Forests provide important raw materials work and income for many people and also very large export revenues.
• Forestry is especially important in southern Norrland, Dalarna, Värmland and Småland.
• Half of Swedish forests are owned by private individuals.
• 25% of forests are owned by large private forestry companies like SCA, Bergvik Skog, and Holmen, which is most common in Norrland.
• The Swedish state owns around 20% of forest land.
• The Church of Sweden owns 5% of the forest land.

Secondary Sector

• Basic industries process raw materials for further processing in the manufacturing industry.
• Mountains and forests are Sweden's most important natural resources.
• Iron ore is mined and processed into iron and steel in Norrbotten County, mainly in Kiruna and Malmberget.
• SSAB (Svenskt Stål AB) is the largest producer of commercial steel with ironworks and steelworks in Luleå and Oxelösund.
• Sawmills are the oldest part of the forest industry, producing timber, particleboard, and plywood.
• A wooden house and carpentry industry has grown in connection with sawmills, most extensively in Småland, Västergötland, and Skåne.
• Pulp and paper production is also a large part of the forest industry, creating jobs for around 60,000 employees.
• Most of what is produced, like sawn timber, pulp, and paper, is exported.
• Forestry also provides many jobs in the transport sector moving timber and wood by trucks, freight cars, and ships every year.
• Agricultural raw materials, such as grain and meat, provide many jobs when they are processed, distributed, and sold, especially in large agricultural areas such as Skåne and Västergötland.
• Half of industrial employees work in the engineering industry.
• Plastics and synthetic fibers in clothing are made from chemicals that come from oil.
• Other chemical products include soap, detergents, cosmetics, and medicines.
• Technological developments in industry have made manufacturing more efficient and reduced the demand for labor.
• Significantly fewer people work in industry today, with only one in seven, compared to sixty years ago.

Tertiary Sector

• An increasing proportion of the workforce works in the service sector.
• Three out of four people in Sweden work in service and services.
• The greatest increase has been in the public sector, where around one million people work.
• Municipalities are responsible for schools, healthcare, social care, leisure activities, and culture.
• Regions have the main responsibility for healthcare
• The service sector also includes trade and distribution of goods.
• In the modern knowledge and information society, good knowledge is needed in many areas.
• Constant knowledge renewal is necessary due to rapid development in areas like IT and biotechnology.
• Fewer people work in industry, and more are employed in the third and fourth sectors, leading to today's society being called the post-industrial society

The labor market in developed countries like Sweden has shifted over the past century. Agriculture and forestry jobs have decreased, while industry jobs initially increased before declining. Currently, the service sector dominates employment. In Sweden, only a small percentage of the workforce is now in agriculture.