This 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 time frame is 2022–2024.
In order to fulfil the project’s objectives, seven academics and public officials have been assigned to produce national outlook chapters on, respectively, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Åland. Additionally, a chapter providing a statistical overview of labour shortages in the Nordic region – particularly its rural dimensions – draws on labour shortage data, maps and analysis provided by the Nordregio GIS-team. Finally, a thematic analysis drawing on the contents of the above chapters attempts to identify commonalities and differences across the Nordics. This concluding chapter includes an overview of the regions and sectors experiencing labour shortages, a catalogue of strategies for addressing such shortages, and direction on how best to enhance policy and better include the rural dimension.
As the results of the report demonstrate, labour shortages are in evidence in areas where vacancies exceed the number of unemployed with the relevant skills. In general, Nordic areas outside the capital regions are more challenged by labour shortages, with a combination of lack of labour (too few people) and lack of competence in the existing workforce being a problem for many – though not all – rural regions. Here, the in-depth knowledge provided by the national outlooks and Nordic overview casts light on the nuances at play, as well as the most relevant pathways for engaging in mutual learning.