Sweden is considering proposal to reduce working hours

The Social Democratic Party of Sweden (Socialdemokraterna) is preparing a proposal to reduce working hours, which will form the basis of the 2026 election campaign, Azernews reports.

According to the information, several studies have shown that with shorter working hours, recovery time increases and the balance between work and family life improves.

It has been about 50 years since the 40-hour week was introduced in Sweden.

Annika Strandhall, a member of the Social Democratic Party, emphasizes that the events that took place after the pandemic showed that it is possible to make changes to working conditions, but this does not apply to all professions.

"We have considered several different models, but have not yet come to a conclusion on how much to reduce the length of working hours. The idea arose simultaneously with the shortage of labor in many industries. Over the past four years, 50 percent more people have been on sick leave due to stress than before," said Annika Strandhall.

Specific policy proposals on this issue will be presented in the spring of 2024.