This report explores strategies to alleviate rural labour shortages across Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Åland. It includes an overview of trends driving rural labour shortages, country-specific national outlooks, and a thematic review that highlights commonalities and differences in rural workforce challenges across the Nordic region.
In addition to the full report (links above), you can download an extended summary of the report in Nordic languages.
The key questions tackled in the report include:
- What regional and rural labour shortage variations exist in the Nordic region?
- Which regions and sectors are especially challenged by (rural) labour shortages?
- What strategies and solutions to (rural) labour shortages exist in the Nordic region?
- How can the strategies used to address labour shortages be better targeted towards specifically rural problems?
Based on the analyses, the report introduces six strategies for addressing rural labour shortages in the Nordic region:
- Nurture place attractiveness and ensure thriving living environments;
- Provide education for life-long learning, as well as vocational training for the unemployed;
- Encourage interregional and international migration;
- Facilitate collaboration between a broad set of stakeholders;
- Pursue hybridity, mobility and flexibility (innovations, digital solutions, travelling teams, consultancies);
- Engage with the silver economy (hiring retirees, pension reforms).
These strategies emphasise the need for tailored, region-specific approaches to meet varying local labour market needs.
The report is an outcome of the Nordic ‘Strategies to Address Nordic Rural Labour Shortage‘ project, which aims to fill knowledge gaps concerning strategies for addressing rural labour shortages, their regional variations, and the sectors particularly affected by such shortages. The project has been carried out in the framework of the Nordic Thematic Group on Green and Inclusive Rural Development (2021-2024).