Last Week in Denmark (30.04 - 07.05) Episode 17 Year 3
Unemployment rules; Education reform; Wolt employees
Editor HQ
Call for submissions: . As previously stated in our last newsletter, for the upcoming three months, each edition will feature a request for article submissions and additional content. The topic for this week is “Retirement in Denmark”. Why this topic? The average international living in Denmark is between 25 and 35 years old, has one or more children, and wants to bring their parents to live in Denmark. Lately, I often see posts on social media groups frequented by internationals about “How can I bring my mother to Denmark so she can help with our daughter?” or “What are the rules for pension in Denmark?”.
We need a writer willing to investigate the pension system in Denmark and write an in-depth guide about it. (paid article)
We need a writer willing to investigate the phenomenon of bringing your parents to retire in Denmark. Why? How? How is their life here? (paid article)
We need a writer willing to visit a retirement home in Denmark and investigate the possibilities for internationals that might not speak Danish to join such collectives. (paid article)
The writers for the three articles mentioned above will be paid via honoraries. To apply to be one of the writers, send an email to lastweekdk@gmail.com with a plan on how you intend to obtain the content and a sample article published before.
We also accept opinion articles (up to 600 words), experience sharing articles (up to 1000 words), photography, and other types of content that are related to the topic of the week. You can send your submissions to lastweekdk@gmail.com (unpaid)
Updates from the team: In this edition, we welcome the new curator of the “Internationals in Danish media” subcategory, Jessica Malvido.
Vote here for next week’s topic and propose future topics we should write long-form articles/guides about.
Opportunity for parents: According to European law, if at least 12 children from the same municipality with ages between 6 and 15 want to learn their native language alongside normal school, then the municipality is obliged to hire a teacher and provide that opportunity free of charge. If you want to use our newsletter to make a call to fellow parents in your municipality, just send us a message. (This is only for EU citizens)
For Romanian-speakers: In collaboration with the Romanian Embassy in Denmark, we have launched the project “Ore de limba şi cultura română în fiecare comună din Danemarca”. The first step of the project is to provide a common platform for interested parents. Register your interest here.
Danish Politics HQ
New Laws and Regulations
The new rules for unemployment benefits apply from May 1, 2023:
For the first three months of unemployment, the monthly benefits increased from 19,278 DKK to 23,449 DKK. (this is conditioned by minimum 4 years of membership in an a-kasse; 2 years of employment within the last 3 years; a minimum salary of 23,827 DKK per month)
If you graduated before May 1, 2023, your unemployment benefit rate will be reduced after 3 months of unemployment (starting the day you graduated). The unemployment period remains a maximum of two years long.
If you graduated after May 1, 2023, your unemployment benefit rate will be reduced after 3 months of unemployment, and the unemployment period will be for a maximum of one year. You must also meet a language requirement.
To meet the language requirement, you need to pass Danish 2 (which means B1 level) or have worked for 600 hours within 12 months out of the 2 years of your education. (the months don’t need to be consecutive) (self-employment doesn’t qualify)
Properties that are classified as “agricultural” today and will be changed to “owner-occupied housing” due to the new property taxation rules, will be able to remain listed as “agricultural” until the property is sold or if the owned land drops below 2 ha. This is important because an “agricultural” property pays lower property taxes. This is a tax relief of 10 billion DKK in 2024 for rural homeowners.
38 billion DKK for the modernization of the Danish Army: Over the next decade, the government will invest 38 billion DKK to upgrade the army's capabilities. The money will be used to repair worn-out buildings; upgrade the IT infrastructure; replace old and damaged equipment, and recruit more soldiers.
Danish Citizenship, Integration and Immigration Laws
Discrimination against apprentices with a minority background: A study made by the Institute for Human Rights, draws a terrible picture. 1 in 3 vocational schools (places where you learn a craft or trade) are being asked by companies if they can provide them with ethnic Danish apprentices, and unfortunately, many of the schools comply with the request. Almost every vocational school in Denmark has experienced companies refusing their students because of their minority background.
A reminder for companies that do this and the vocational schools that accept this practice: doing this is not only unethical but also illegal.
If you have been discriminated against, remember you can call the “Discrimination Line” at 32 69 86 66 (Monday to Thursday between 12 and 15).
Law proposals and ideas
Proposed changes in the educational system by the “Reform Commision”:
Abolish 10th grade in Folkeskolen; replace it with HPX (Higher Practical Examination). If the proposal becomes reality, then there will be two main ways out of “folkeskolen” - the gymnasiums and the HPX.
Changes to boarding schools (efterskoler) as they should be financially motivated to attract younger students (8th and 9th grade).
Children tired of school should be able, already in 7th grade, to replace 2 days of normal school per week with 2 days of being in a workshop where they work with their hands. There is already such a possibility for the 8th and 9th graders.
More financial support for PPR (an investment of at least 150 million DKK). PPR is the school's mental health support system. More people should be trained to be able to carry out PPR examinations.
3-year old children should be “language assessed” to see if they need “language stimulation”. The purpose is to detect below-average language skills early so that they can get help.
Besides the most important changes listed here, there are 45 other smaller changes proposed by the “Reform Commision” which you can read here. The “Reform Commision” was established in 2020 with the task of proposing changes to the educational system so that fewer young people end up without a job or education.
The government welcomes and supports the ideas proposed. They will study the proposals and think about how they can be made into legislation.
The trade unions also welcome the proposed ideas, as they want more young people to choose the vocational path.
An expert committee has been established to find new solutions for public transport: They have to map the citizens' transport needs and develop a catalog of new collective mobility offers for different geographies; then they need to look at a new model for tariffs; and lastly, they need to make recommendations regarding the organization of local public transport. The work should be completed by the end of 2024.
The political arena
The second-most powerful woman in Denmark, Lizette Risgaard, has resigned from her position as chairwoman of the trade unions: Last week, she was accused of inappropriate sexual advances and went into unpaid leave. After several leaders of the trade unions declared that they had lost trust in her, she decided to resign. She has been the leader since 2019, with a forty-year career within trade unions.
Roads in Denmark will be blocked on the 15th May: Truck drivers are angry about the new tax on trucks that run on diesel or gasoline and are planning to show their unhappiness by blocking roundabouts and approaches to motorways all over the country. So keep that in mind if you plan to travel that day.
Danish Economy HQ
The Danish National Bank announced another interest rate increase by 0.25%, to the horror of people who have bank loans and people who wish to buy a house. Unfortunately, the inflation rate has not dropped low enough yet, so spending must be further curbed before we can return to better days. More interest rate increases are expected during the summer.
See the maps of Denmark’s 98 municipalities with regards to wealth and spending on welfare:
The most wealthy areas in Denmark are Skanderborg (Jylland), Roskilde and most of the municipalities north of Copenhagen.
The poorest areas are Frederikshavn, Jammerbugt, Morsø-Struer, Norddjurs, Tønder-Haderslev (Jylland) and most of the municipalities south of Roskilde.
The municipalities that have a low level of welfare are Aarhus and Norddjurs in Jylland and Copenhagen.
The so-called “Wolt partners” will further on be considered “employees of Wolt” by the Danish Tax Authorities: This means that you can no longer open a one-man company with the purpose of being a delivery person for Wolt. They need to properly hire you (which also means they need to pay labor market contributions and A-tax). The biggest fear for the company is that the delivery people might decide to organize themselves and request a collective agreement that includes holiday pay, pension, and sick pay.
Municipalities in Denmark need to cut down on spending, and some of them have been more creative than others. For example, in Aarhus, they decided that public daycare services will close 30 minutes earlier (4:30 instead of 5:00) on Mondays (just like on Fridays) to save 1.7 million DKK a year.
While the public sector in Denmark is suffering, the top Danish companies are flourishing: For example, Novo Nordisk made 19.8 billion DKK in just the first three months of 2023 (a big role has been played by the obesity medicine Wegovy), while Maersk made 16 billion DKK in the same period. It seems that in 2023, Maersk will not repeat the 2022 performance, when they recorded the largest profit in Danish business history (over 200 billion DKK).
Higher interest rates have also secured good revenue for the Danish banks (Five of the country's largest banks: Danske Bank, Jyske Bank, Sydbank, Spar Nord and Ringkjøbing Landbobank, made a total of DKK 8.2 billion)
Daily Life in Denmark HQ
The energy drink “Prime” is illegal in Denmark: The popular American energy drink “Prime” is illegal in Denmark because it hasn’t obtained a permit from the Danish Food and Drug Authority (Fødevarestyrelsen). The authorities are warning against drinking it as it can be dangerous for your health (among other things, it can seriously damage your liver).
The energy drink has been launched by Youtube stars Logan Paul and KSI and it is very popular among teenagers.
There are 30 wolves in Denmark, according to ulveatlas.dk: For the past few months, the local news has started to cover more stories about wolves being seen in public spaces or wolf attacks on livestock. Even some politicians have started to ask, "Should farmers affected by wolf attacks be reimbursed for their losses?” Clearly, Denmark needs to find a way to live with the wolves once again, as they are a protected species in the European Union.
Healthcare with Punitha Kumar
COVID-19 has not affected the survival rates of cancer patients, the Danish Health Data Authority revealed. Department head Mette Keis Jepsen said the figures do not reveal what COVID-19 has meant for cancer treatment, but the chances of a cancer patient surviving a year after being diagnosed have not been affected.
Here’s a breakdown of the percentage of cancer patients who have survived 1 year post-diagnosis:
2019 – 2021: 84% women, 83% men
2016 – 2018: 83% women; 82% men
2007 – 2009: 75% across all genders
Education
Climate with Britta Schirmer
Is Denmark close to reaching its 2025 climate goals? According to the Danish Energy Agency (Energistyrelsen) and Minister for Climate Lars Aagard (M), Denmark is close to reaching its greenhouse gas reduction goal of 50-54% for 2025. With the current initiatives and allocated budget, they expect to reduce emissions by 49,8% compared to 1990.
Culture, Religion and Royals with Cicek Eris
A national initiative has allocated DKK 8.7 million to strengthen children’s and young people’s enjoyment of reading in 17 municipalities until 2025. The initiative for children's and young people’s enjoyment of reading—a strengthened collaboration between primary school educational learning centers and public libraries will launch in spring 2023.
Interdisciplinary work will form the foundation for a robust reading culture, according to Tina Bang Jakobsen of Aalborg Central Library. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt also believes that children’s enjoyment of reading is a shared responsibility, and he hopes that the project will get more children to choose the book over the screen.
Internationals in Danish media with Jessica Malvido
55% of the 161 board members of the companies listed on C25 are international: According to Jylland-Posten, there is a shift from the historical tendency of Danish companies' boards to be dominated by Danes. This is seen as a positive development by Nina Nærby, CEO of Leadership Advisor Group, which provides guidance to the boards of the country's largest companies.
If a company gets a new employee in Denmark, it is 84% likely that the person is an international or a Dane over 54 years old: Borsen reports that this represents a challenge for the future, as the global competition for working-age people has intensified and Denmark is not the first choice for qualified people. Dansk Erhverv (Danish Business Association) says that “Denmark would be a poor country without the foreign workforce and the elderly”.
Announcement Board
This section is curated by Cicek Eris. If you have events you want us to include here please send a mail - denmarkhappenings@gmail.com. You can check out her newsletter about cultural events in Denmark here.
Odense, 9th May, 17.30-20.30: Are you considering buying a home in Denmark but find the real estate market confusing? Join “International Community Odense” for a seminar that will guide you through the process of buying real estate, including different types of properties, financing possibilities, legal requirements, and housing options for foreign nationals living in Denmark. This seminar is free, but registration is required.
Odense, 17th May, 19:15: Are you scared of speaking in front of people? Or do you want to improve your confidence and communication skills? Odense Toastmasters might be something for you. They have a safe environment where you can practice public speaking. They meet every second Wednesday at 19:15 at Student House Odense (Brandts Passage). If you want to reach out to them, write to odense@toastmasters.dk
Copenhagen, 10th May, 08.30-17.00: Tech Passion Day is a one-day tech conference that gathers tech enthusiasts, professionals, and thought-leaders to exchange ideas and learn about the latest advancements in technology. With a focus on inspiration and education, this event offers a range of keynote speakers and interactive sessions.
Aalborg, 11th May, 08.00-16.45: Discover exciting career opportunities at Jobevent Thy 2023. This event is your chance to explore new career opportunities and connect with companies in the area. Take a free bus ride to and from Aalborg, and participate in activities such as company dating and a company tour at Sjørring Maskinfabrik. Registration is required, and the last day to register is 7th May, so don’t miss your chance to sign up!
Copenhagen, 11th May, 09.00-16.00: Join the Women’s Entrepreneurship Expo to connect with business-minded and passionate women from across Denmark, gain inspiration, and get one step closer to turning your passion into a business. Exhibition space available for showcasing products and services. All women are welcome!
Esbjerg, 11th May, 17.00: Talks about the labour market in Denmark including Danish union agreements, unemployment insurance and the rules/agreements for overtime pay, holiday allowance, maternity leave, sick leave, pension and more.
Esbjerg, 11th May, 19.00-20.00: If you are a freelancer/startup/entrepreneur/self-employed with an international background or are considering becoming one, you might be interested in attending IFSES meetUPs to connect with others, share information and experiences, give each other advice and guidance. Confirm attendance by email to newcomer@esbjerg.dk.
Copenhagen, 12th May, 17.00-23.00: Celebrate university entrepreneurship at impact NIGHT hosted by Venture Cup Denmark and meet students dreaming of working in startups to contribute to a better world, the entrepreneurial community including university hubs and organizations. Enjoy street food, an open bar, and an afterparty with a DJ.
International media about Denmark HQ
Denmark is our Green European country of the month - here’s why (Euronews).