Looking to Work in Sweden, Denmark, or Norway?

Here's an interesting article (from The Economist) about the difficulties Nordic nations are experiencing attracting and retaining foreign workers. Here's a portion of the article:

Unemployment in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway is well below the EU average, and employers are complaining of labor shortages and wage inflation. Sweden is pondering a proposal that will nearly guarantee two-year residence and employment permits to any non-EU worker with a job offer from a Swedish employer; workers would be able to extend the permits for another two years and would qualify for permanent status afterwards. Norway has cut the amount of time it takes to have paper processed for foreign workers. Whereas before it took weeks, foreigners can now start work as soon as they have properly filed their applications. Denmark has proposed a points-based green card system to draw engineers, IT experts, and other needed skilled employees. All three countries have had difficulty attracting even their quota of skilled foreign workers, as has neighboring Finland, which in seeming desperation has put out a promotional video to attract skilled workers, available in English, Polish, and Romanian, which touts the country's benefits, including "managers who treat workers almost like friends."

Source: The Economist, (04/11/08) Vol. 387, No. 8574, P. 56

So, if you've ever wanted to live and work in Sweden, Denmark, or Norway, now's probably an ideal time.

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