Pursuits
Here's How the Refugee Crisis Threatens Swedish Social Model
- Taxes could rise to cover costs from record refugee inflow
- Labor market, housing regulations come under the loupe
Refugees attend a Swedish language class in Vattendroppen, Sweden.
Photographer: David Ramos/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
In a Sweden grappling with an unprecedented inflow of refugees, many unthinkable things are becoming thinkable.
The government is now facing pressure to interfere in the sacrosanct labor market -- where pay is traditionally set by employers and unions. The argument goes that Sweden needs a lower minimum wage to help create the thousands upon thousands of jobs needed to absorb the record inflow of people seeking refuge.