Young Swedes Flock to Newly Rich Norway for Work - by Ivar Ekman
Long a poor cousin in Scandinavia, Norway has surpassed Sweden to become one of the richest countries in the world — to the point where it has become a magnet for young Swedes ready to work hard to make quick money, and lots of it. “When I was young, Swedes had whiter teeth, clearer skin, Abba and Bjorn Borg. We had lots of fish, and not much more,” said Thomas Hylland Eriksen, a professor of social anthropology at the University of Oslo, “Today, Swedes have been cut down to size,” he said. “And I would say that many Norwegians enjoy the fact that so many Swedes are here doing menial jobs.” The number of Swedes living and working in Norway almost doubled between 1990 and 2007 and is now about 35,000. Studies have shown that the number of Swedes commuting to work in Norway has also grown quickly.
Most Swedes who come are 18 through 25, and are prepared to work hard. Mikael Svensson, a Swede who recruits countrymen for the staffing company Adecco, said Swedes are very popular among Norwegian employers. Many, like Jenny Eriksson, 22, pack food in warehouses. Others, like Sofia Falk, 21, and Pernilla Bergstrom, 19, work in the restaurant industry. Both admit that they were drawn here by the money — 120 to 250 kronor, or $22 to $46, per hour for the kind of jobs most Swedes do, close to double the pay in Sweden.
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