Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies

Early Exit Decisions in Finland: Investigating the Limbo between Unemployment and Retirement

Katri Keskinen — 2024-03-28

Despite efforts to extend careers, workers continue to withdraw from working life before reaching the old-age pension age. The complexities behind early exit decisions have been extensively studied to understand the individual factors influencing the decision-making processes. However, fewer studies have attempted to understand how underlying cultural notions of age shape these decisions. Using qualitative longitudinal interview data from Finland, this article examined how individuals in the Finnish unemployment pathway to retirement position themselves between unemployment and retirement by drawing on age-specific discourses. Findings show that early exit was framed as the least problematic career option, although colored with ambiguity and anxiety. Individuals did not view themselves as retirees, and some expressed interest in continuing work. Nevertheless, age norms together with experienced, internalized, and expected ageism pushed individuals toward exit, highlighting the need to better understand and support individuals experiencing late-life unemployment.

Retention of Staff in Nordic Healthcare— A Literature Review

Fredrik Sjögren — 2024-06-05

The Nordic healthcare sector faces severe staff shortages.This paper is based on a rapid literature review, including 73 papers published between 2010 and 2020, addressing retention issues in the sector.The aim is to compile and discuss empirical research on retention of staff within Nordic healthcare.The paper fills an existing gap providing a comprehensive picture of crucial factors for retaining staff in the sector. Findings include that most studies were quantitative, often surveys, and mostly focusing on registered nurses and/or physicians/medical doctors. Further, high control, high levels of social support, good leadership, satisfactory opportunities for professional development, organizational continuity, reasonable demands, including absence of heavy physical exertion, were all shown to positively impact retention rates. While the results to some extent were as expected, they highlight key areas for healthcare employers, as well as policymakers at various levels, to concentrate on for improving staff retention within their organizations.

Knowledge Claims on Municipalities in the Swedish Labor Market Policy

Rickard Ulmestig — 2024-06-01

Activation is crucial for beating unemployment for those with high thresholds for entering the labor market. The municipalities in Sweden have become an important factor in the activation. However, no formal argument or decisions were ever made to support the inclusion of municipalities in labor market policy. A government report was, however, compiled and sent to different stakeholders for comments. The present study is based on an analysis of the comments, here termed knowledge claims. The analysis shows that there is a low level of interest from different stakeholders except for the municipalities who are burdened with the cost of social assistance when the unemployed do not find work. The municipalities legitimize and reproduce a dual system for labor market policy. The Public Employment Service (PES) prioritizes unemployed persons who have unemployment insurance and a low threshold for entering the labor market, and the others are left to the municipalities to deal with.

Adaptive, Persistent, and Available Support: The Crucial Way in Healthcare during Covid-19

Maria Wramsten Wilmar — 2024-03-22

The aim of this study was to gain knowledge about the work of crisis managers in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative and exploratory approach was used with crisis managers who had worked at five different emergency hospitals in one of the Swedish metropolitan regions. An inductive thematic analysis was performed. Major emphasis was placed on the importance of work processes aiming for a high level of accessibility, including having a tangible physical presence in the workplace, plus actively reaching out to the staff. The crisis support provided was adapted to provide a stabilizing factor, promote stamina, and increase motivation. It also included a continuous assessment of mental health status and focused on strengthening management functions. Initially, the support was more focused on stress and anxiety, but then gradually shifted towards maintaining stamina and motivation

Introduction to NJWS 2024-3

Anders Buch — 2024-09-06

The fall issue of Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies features four original research articles from Finnish and Swedish researchers.