In the wake of recession -- economic hardship, shame and social disintegration

TLDR: The objective of this paper is to discuss aspects of the societal change that Sweden is undergoing, particularly the working-class young men and women, with poor education or training, who make up the majority of the unemployed.

Abstract: Over a period of just a few years, Sweden changed from a country of full employment to one of mass un- employment. Although it avoided the severe crises that afflicted many European countries during the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s, which resulted in mass un- employment in these countries, when the crisis finally did arrive, everything happened very quickly. In just a few years, the overheated economy at the end of the 1980s (with an unemployment rate of less than 1% in some areas) was replaced by mass unemployment. Be- tween 1991 and 1993, almost half a million jobs disap- peared (1). In a generation perspective, it was primarily young persons who were the major losers. Between 1990 and 1992, one-third of the country's teenagers disappeared from the labor market, while the loss of those over 35 years of age was relatively small (2). In a class perspective, it is particularly the traditional blue-collar jobs that disappeared. Between 1991 and 1993, about 200 000 jobs in the manufacturing industry and over 70 000 jobs in the building industry were elimi- nated (1). The major losers in a labor market perspective during the period were mainly young men and young women with relatively poor education or training (3) from the working-class families. They are concentrated in the old industrial areas and small communities (4). Immigrants, too, were among the group of major losers. In 1993, unemployment among immigrants was 28% (5). The picture in the rest of Europe is the same as in Sweden. It is primarily working-class young men and women, with poor education or training, who make up the majority of the unemployed. The objective of this paper is to discuss aspects of the societal change that we are undergoing. Many voices