The supply of labour to the green industries in Sweden: inequality and dependence among workers and employers

Sweden's green industries along with public agencies have for a long-time expressed concern over labour shortage as a consequence of the depopulation of rural areas. Agriculture and forestry have seen increased employment of migrant workers which has been accredited to this shortage, especially in parts of the production that is accentuated by manual work and seasonality. Just as in the wild berry industry, these workers often face precarious conditions in Sweden. However, the solutions to the labour shortage are described differently by different stakeholders. This paper explores how different stakeholders on the Swedish labour market describe their need for labour within the greens industries, particularly the spatiality of the labour demands and the green commodity chain. Interviews are made with trade unions, state agencies, municipalities, and employers. In addition, policy documents and public statistics form the backdrop to the research. We identify four main themes in the narratives: Migrant labour is dominant; Agreement that it’s not easy to recruit, but the reasons why differ: The attractiveness of the industry; A growing distance between resources and industries. In conclusion, the green industries have on a structural plane chosen to solve their labour supply, which is shaped by contemporary globalization, but also that solutions can be multifaceted and dependent on the employers. • Today migrant workers dominate the manual work within the traditional green industries in Sweden. • Migrant workers is a structural solution, shaped by contemporary capitalism, neoliberalism and globalization. • How actors act within this further relate a to how they position themselves as employer and their responsibility as an employer.