10 Most In-Demand Skills in Sweden for 2025

Sweden is among the top countries when it comes to quality of life. Moreover, the cost of living is lower than in the United States by 20.9%. Citing these perks, many individuals plan to move to Sweden for work or career change. 

Knowing about the in-demand skills in Sweden and skill shortages may help professionals with their career trajectory. Some of the critical skills in Sweden that are in demand include business management, finance, healthcare, AI, and teaching. There is a skill gap or a skill mismatch when organizations are actively looking to hire. 

Many companies, especially small firms in Sweden, are struggling to hire skilled workers. This is hindering the industry's growth. One of the major factors that contribute to the skill shortage is technological advancement, which requires a new set of skills. 

Key Aspects of Swedish Work Culture

There are certain aspects you must know about working in Sweden if you ever plan to work there.

Sweden is known for fostering workplace environments that emphasize teamwork, mutual respect, and equal opportunities among employees, while maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal well-being. Here are some key aspects to keep in mind: 

1. Flat Hierarchies: Most employers in Sweden focus on teamwork, and every person is encouraged to contribute something to the work table, no matter their rank. This encourages everybody within the organization, which is advantageous to all incessant innovativeness and collective work, hence making it suitable for individuals who prefer to work in groups.

2. Work-Life Balance: Swedish people have one of the most wholesome relations with work as they prioritize work-life balance. Employees have fixed working hours on a widespread basis, while they prefer flexible schedules for family, leisure, and personal interests. Employers, for the job seekers it means you can get a good job with a promising and happy life by not neglecting your family.

3. Fika Tradition: Get ready to learn about fika, which is more than just a coffee break. It’s a much-valued tradition that helps to interact with co-workers and to formalize friendly working relationships. It also enhances your chances of fitting into the team and making friends fast because you shall be joining these breaks.

4. Gender Equality: Sweden recognizes itself as having gender-equal workplaces. Flexible working, bonuses, and more choices of leadership roles throughout the organization provide an optimistic work culture for all employees. This is reassuring for those advocating for equal and progressive working conditions.

5. Punctuality: Swedish people are very particular when it comes to managing their time. Punctuality in meetings and deadlines is one way of showing professionalism and honoring other people. Showing this trait will make you a valuable employee and enable you to meet your work expectations.

For those seeking employment in Sweden, these cultural elements make the country a favorable place to establish a career.

Which Skills are In-Demand in Sweden?

Sectors like digital technology, aviation, science, information technology, and healthcare are growing in Sweden. The country is focusing on staying competitive in business and trade as new startups are forming in these sectors. Several positions in these organizations are vacant for the right skilled people. We’ll discuss the top in-demand skills in Sweden.

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1. Driving Skills

According to the Swedish Confederation of Transport Enterprises, 8,100 new bus drivers will be needed over the next two years. The logistics departments and e-commerce departments are constantly looking to hire drivers for freight transportation. One of the major reasons is the lack of skilled and certified drivers to fill the needs of the public as well as freight transportation.

2. Healthcare Skills

The healthcare workers in Sweden are in high demand at all times. As per the 2023 Labour Market Tendency Survey, the medical sector is struggling to hire skilled labor in healthcare and related technology. 

Besides, Sweden's healthcare sector is popular for its standards and innovative medical approaches. This has raised the need for skilled professionals who are equipped to operate modern healthcare machinery and have the right medical knowledge. 

Some common in-demand healthcare roles include geriatric and intensive care nurses. This is due to the aging population in Sweden and the growing need for medical care. The country also needs general and specialist practitioners in medicine and surgery. 

There is also a demand for skilled laboratory technologists and radiologists. 

3. Teaching Skills

Sweden has globally recognized education and research centers. Currently, there is a shortage of educators and research staff in Sweden in different fields, such as STEM, sustainable development, and economics. There’s a high demand for scientists in AI, environmental science, and biotechnology.

Sweden had a shortage of 22,000 teachers (20% of the teaching workforce), as per the previous journal documents. By 2035, Sweden will need to hire 153,000 qualified teachers for early education and care (ECEC) to the upper secondary level to fit the demands. 

4. Psychology Skills 

According to the Social Board, Sweden has very few psychologists, with a current number of just 86 per 100,000 population. Ever since COVID-19, there has been an increase in the need for mental health experts. 

However, there is a critical lack of skilled professionals, and patients seeking help are unable to find a solution. Many professionals are not equipped with the right training and educational certifications to take on the job. Apart from qualifications and skills, there’s a dire need for an empathetic psychologist who can cater to modern issues and needs. 

5. Construction Skills  

Recent data from the Swedish Ministry of Labour and Employment reveal that Sweden is currently experiencing a need for more skilled workers to support future projects. There is a particular demand for mobile farm and forestry plant operators, bus and tram drivers, plumbers and pipefitters, manufacturing machine operators, construction workers, motor vehicle mechanics and repairers, and welders, among others.

6. Renewable Energy Engineering Skills 

The renewable energy sector of the Nordic region is experiencing a skill shortage. For Sweden to be more sustainable and develop green, there has to be investment in the renewable energy sector. 

The current state shows the lack of local skilled minds for solar as well as wind energy development. Recruiting employees without renewable energy skills is not the solution, as it can increase the training period and lead to losses. The goal is to perform efficiently to prevent project delays and manage operational costs. 

7. Dentist Skills

Sweden has less number of dentists in 18 of its 21 regions. The skill gap will remain substantial till 2035. A few major reasons contributing to the lack of skill are the lack of dental programs for dentists and demographic changes in some areas. The current number of dentists in Sweden does not meet the future demand. 

As per the Swedish Dental Association Tandläkartidningen, the country will have to increase the number of dentists hiring by at least 10% to meet the growing population demands. 

8. Cybersecurity Skills

Sweden lacks nearly 300,000 cybersecurity experts. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) agrees on the skill shortage in the Nordic regions. The cybersecurity skills gap threatens the security as well as economic growth of the country. Additionally, every industry is adopting digital solutions and is data-driven; hence, cybersecurity is needed more than ever. Apart from technical skills, the organizations hiring skilled professionals also desire problem-solving strategies and AI integration.

How to Improve Your Skills for Sweden’s Job Market

There is an acute skill shortage in Sweden in several sectors, as mentioned above. The government is acknowledging this lack and offering vocational training. The current budget has been increased to fit in the regional initial VET for adults and for higher vocational education. 

We’ll discuss more about these institutes and programs to enhance your skills and land your dream job. 

• WorldSkills Sweden: A collaborative journey of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) and Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education, WorldSkills Sweden offers vocational education to people who want to train for better careers. Their projects and initiatives include career change assessment, YourSkills campaign, and YourTalent campaign, where young students can pick various programs. They have a guide on how to choose the programs for specific goals. Besides, there are job tournaments for students and free-to-attend competitions in 50 different fields. 

• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): OECD offers effective vocational programs to all aspiring learners. Students can join efficient Vocational Education and Training in Sweden. The training focuses on improving the work provision to the learners and helping them succeed in the career of their choice. This high vocational education program was launched in 2002 to enhance skills and changing demands. Besides, the organization offers tie-ups with various schools and colleges in Sweden for teaching and evaluation. Students can go for apprenticeship and vocational programs in agriculture, economics, environment, nuclear energy, and taxation, to name a few. 

• Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan: Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan stands for the Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education. The institution offers Higher Vocational Education in Sweden (HVE) to ensure a qualified workforce. Their main goal is to study the labor market and introduce beneficial programs. Besides, they also offer to decide which programs the government grants while promoting quality improvement in HVE. Choose from various programs in the fields of arts and culture, interpretation courses, IT, hospitality, and tourism. 

Conclusion

Sweden's job market is facing a large skills gap, mainly in health care, technology, and education industries. With continuous changes in industries and emerging technology, the supply of skilled professionals is not meeting the demand. 

Going for vocational education can help change the career path and move towards success. Companies looking forward to retraining their employees can also venture into vocational training. This way, they won’t have to hire new employees for various sectors. Choosing the right partner for training is the key when training employees. 

For instance, Edstellar stands out in providing reliable training in different sectors. The platform also has tools like Skill Matrix to learn about gaps in skills and figure out the best training.