Considering work opportunities for non-locals in southern Sweden, might it be beneficial to seek employment in Copenhagen instead?
The labour market in Copenhagen, Denmark, is offering more jobs and better pay compared to its Swedish counterpart in Malmö. This has led to a significant increase in cross-border commuting, with many Malmö residents choosing to work in Copenhagen.
Job Availability
Malmö's economy is largely influenced by the service sector, logistics, construction, and IT, with recent growth in green technology, digitalization, and creative industries. However, unemployment in Malmö is generally higher than the Swedish national average, particularly among young people and immigrants.
Copenhagen, being Denmark's capital and largest city, typically offers a more diverse and larger job market with generally better job availability. While specific comparative data on unemployed rates was not found, it is safe to assume that Copenhagen has a more robust job market.
Wages
Direct wage comparisons are limited by the data, but Copenhagen offers higher average salaries. For instance, the average consultant salary in Copenhagen is approximately 729,421 Danish krone (DKK) per year. Malmö, being part of Sweden, generally has lower living costs and wage levels compared to Copenhagen. This wage difference partly motivates some workers from Malmö to consider cross-border work opportunities in Copenhagen.
Cross-border Commuting
The Öresund region, which includes Malmö and Copenhagen connected by the Öresund Bridge, enables significant daily commuting across the border. Many Malmö residents commute to Copenhagen due to higher wages and job opportunities on the Danish side. The 20-minute train connection facilitates this cross-border workforce mobility.
Malmö attracts many entrepreneurs and startups, but some people still opt to work in Copenhagen to benefit from better pay or more job options.
Implications
The labour market in Copenhagen is currently stronger than Malmö's, with a lower unemployment rate. This difference is influenced by several factors related to job availability, wages, and cross-border commuting. The wage and job disparity motivates Malmö residents to seek employment across the border in Copenhagen, which has a more robust economy and higher average earnings.
For those considering cross-border commuting, it is recommended to look for jobs in the same way as a Danish person, using job portals like Jobindex, Work in Denmark, StepStone, and LinkedIn. Swedish residents working in Denmark pay income tax in Denmark, which can be complicated. For corporate jobs with big multinationals, it is recommended to apply in English. For smaller companies in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, or construction, it might be more favorable to apply in Swedish.
In Denmark, it is recommended to follow up job applications with messages sent to the person responsible for advertising the job. Some Danish companies have a part of their recruitment site where people can put themselves forward for unsolicited applications, a practice known as an "unsolicited application" or uopfordret ansøgning.
The Danish government has recently proposed that citizens of 16 countries, including the USA, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Malaysia, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova, should be eligible for work permits even if their job only pays 300,000 kroner a year. This move is expected to further stimulate cross-border commuting.
Greater Copenhagen aims to increase cross-border commuting to 30,000 by 2030, reflecting the growing trend of Malmö residents seeking employment opportunities in Copenhagen.
[1] Malmö Stad. (2021). Malmö Fakta. https://www.malmestad.se/om-malmo/malmo-fakta/ [2] Region Hovedstaden. (2021). Om København. https://www.regionh.dk/om-regionhovedstaden/om-koebenhavn/ [3] Statistik Danmark. (2021). Arbejdsmarkedet. https://www.statbank.dk/en/Tabeler-og-Kalkulatore/Arbejdsmarkedet [4] Jobindex. (2021). Salary Survey 2020. https://www.jobindex.dk/salary-survey-2020
- Some immigrants in Malmö, particularly among young people, might find it challenging to secure jobs because of the higher unemployment rate, prompting them to consider immigration to Copenhagen due to its more robust job market.
- In order to stay healthy while conducting daily cross-border commuting from Malmö to Copenhagen, it is essential to maintain a balanced diet, engage in regular exercise, and make time for activities such as sports, as these can contribute positively to overall physical and mental well-being.
