Mind maps of employment development in sparsely populated regions of Sweden

• Main Authors: Lind, Tommy, Wiberg, Ulf
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Umeå universitet, Institutionen för geografi och ekonomisk historia 2011
• Subjects: ANOTA analysis; Employment; Manufacturing industry; Northern sweden; Path dependency; R&D; Service industry; Human Geography; Kulturgeografi; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-200472

Employment options form an essential part of individuals' and households' living conditions. In this paper we present how people in Sweden perceive current and future job options. The empirical case is the northern half of the Swedish territory, which is divided into four counties. The analysis is based on data from a questionnaire, distributed to 4,000 inhabitants aged 15-85 years in September 2008. After reminders a response rate of 64.1% was reached. The ANOTA method is used as the analytical instrument. Two categories of determinants behind attitudes to job options in general on the local labor market have been chosen. The first category includes a set of personal attributes, while the second includes a set of locational characteristics. Further, it is analyzed how the respondents perceived the specific role of the manufacturing industry, the service industry and R&D in the development in their county. The two categories of determinants are used in this part as well. The analysis reveals a rather widespread anxiety about both the current and future provision of job options. The most satisfied and optimistic respondents were young, male and high-income earners living in coastal municipalities with a low unemployment level. There were also some striking differences in views among sub-groups on the role of the manufacturing industry, the service industry and R&D, with greatest contrasts found between the manufacturing industry and R&D. The highest share of respondents who regarded the manufacturing industry as very important was among men, over 30 years, with a low education and living in municipalities with a high unemployment level. The highest share of respondents who regarded R&D as very important was among women, under 30 years, highly educated and living in coastal municipalities with a low unemployment level.