9058009785

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Hartmann, Sweden

While the opportunities of the already employed labour force to vary their work-load in accordance with other personal interests increased during the 1970s, the introduction of the Employment Security Act in 1974 weakened the opportunities of persons outside the labour force to be hired for a per-manent job. (Vogel, 1983) The Aa. which almost established tenure-like conditions for those' already employed. created a division of the labour force in what in Sweden is called A-, B- and C-markets.

The A-labour market is reserved for the well-educated and trained work force who have been able to obtain permanent positions. They can be said to "own" their work-places as they enjoy all the legał rights linked to employment, may take leave for various reasons and are, to a high degree, se-cured against being fired. Even if they are given notice in case of lack of work. they are the first in the queue for new jobs.

The B-market is constituted by those well trained and able to perform ac-cording to the demands on the market, but who have failed to obtain a permanent position of their own. They are hired for short-time vacancies and move between various jobs and fields of work during a long period ofi their lives. Many women working part-time and young people with Iow working-life eiperience are to be found in this B-group.

The C-market consists of those who cannot perform in accordance with the demands of modern working-life and therefore cannot eipea to be hired on the open labour market, but have to rely on sheltered work or relief schemes run by public agencies. In addition, early retirement-schemes re-move persons who no longer can fulfill the labour market reąuirements from this market. According to several studies. the number of persons on this C-market has increased considerably and eiceeds overt unemployment by 3 to 4 times. (Aielsson et al.. 1983; Berglind and Rundblad. 1978)