The Copenhagen labour market

Characteristics of the Danish labour market from costs, to regulation, recruitment and training.

Some of the attractive elements of the labour market in the Copenhagen Region and the Øresund Region are:

• A labour market of nearly 1.8 million persons - the largest labour market in Scandinavia.
• A high concentration of well-educated labour.
• Excellent foreign language skills.
• Co-operative labour-employer relations.
• Competitiveness on labour costs.
• Flexicurity – Flexible hiring and firing practices and a strong public social security system.

On the following pages an overview of the labour market in Greater Copenhagen and the Øresund Region is provided with regard to:

1. Labour market size and participation
2. Geographic mobility in the Øresund Region
3. Level of education
4. Work culture and language capabilities
5. Labour market regulation and flexibility
6. Labour costs
7. Recruitment and staff training
8. Incentives and services

All of the above can be found in a fact sheet that can be downloaded here

1. Labour market size and participation

The workforce in the Copenhagen Region  amounts to approximately one million people. Taking into account the Øresund Region , the workforce totals 1.8 million people, thus constituting the largest coherent labour market in Scandinavia. >> Read more

2. Geographic mobility in the Øresund Region

The labour markets of southern Sweden, Copenhagen and Zealand in general are steadily integrating into one single but enlarged labour market. >> Read more

3. Level of education

The Øresund Region represents a true knowledge centre and a unique recruitment base for knowledge intensive businesses. With its 10,000 researchers, 142,000 students and 14 higher education centres, the region constitutes the educational centre of Denmark as well as of Scandinavia. >> Read more

4. Work culture and language capabilities

Danish businesses are characterised by an easy-going corporate culture that allows for open and honest communication with short communication lines from upper management to the individual employee.
The foreign language capabilities of the Danish population are generally considered to be excellent. >> Read more

5. Labour market regulation and flexibility

Contrary to most other European countries, the Danish labour market is regulated by collective agreements covering nearly 80 per cent of all employees. Law regulation is almost non-existent in Denmark. >> Read more

6. Labour costs

The labour costs in Denmark are in line with those of other countries in northern Europe. >> Read more

7. Recruitment and staff training

Most often companies undertake recruitment of staff themselves. The majority of vacancies or new jobs are published on job web sites on the Internet and in national newspapers on Sundays. >> Read more

8. Incentives and services

A special taxation scheme applies for researchers and key employees who are recruited abroad and are employed by a Danish company or research institution.
When establishing a new company or a branch office in the Greater Copenhagen Area, the Public Employment Service can assist in the search for qualified personnel. >> Read more

Last updated on: 10-07-2006	<< Back   Top