In brief

• Cost of hiring skilled employees competitive by international comparison
• Lower rate of social security contributions for employees under 26 years of age
• Reduced rate of social security contributions for key foreign employees

Publicly and privately funded

Sweden offers a framework of publicly funded social provision, ranging from pensions and healthcare to parental allowances and employment-related insurance. The national basic pension and insurance system is often combined with occupational-based insurance plans. Salaries for highly trained and qualified personnel are low by international comparison, which means that the total cost of hiring employees remains competitive.