The Swedish Occupational Register with statistics 2014:

Cleaning jobs common among foreign born

Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2016-03-16 9.30

The most common occupation among foreign born persons on the Swedish labour market was cleaning in 2014. In this group, nearly two out of three men and one out of two women were foreign born. This corresponds to 15 percent of all employed persons.

Of the 4 214 600 employees aged 16–64 on the Swedish labour market, 15 percent were foreign born in 2014. Cleaners accounted for the most common occupations among foreign born persons. The occupation is clearly dominated by women among foreign born, with 69 percent women. Of the 15 most common occupations among foreign born persons, the occupations that were most dominated by men were bus and tram drivers at 94 percent. Helpers in restaurants were the occupation that had the most even distribution of the sexes among the 15 most common occupations among foreign born persons, with 49 percent women and 51 percent men.

The most common occupation for foreign born men was Warehouse and terminal staff while the most common occupations for foreign born women were Assistant nurses, home care and homes for the elderly. The next most common occupation among both foreign born men and women was Cleaner, where 65 percent of the 16 500 men in the occupation and 46 percent of the 52 600 women were foreign born

The 15 most common occupations for foreign born employees aged 16–64, 2014

Occupation^[1]	Employed	Born in Sweden, number	Foreign born, number	Foreign born women, number	Foreign born men, number
Cleaners and helpers in offices, hotels and other establishments	69 100	34 000	35 000	24 300	10 800
Assistant nurses, home care and homes for the elderly	136 000	105 600	30 300	26 900	3 500
Restaurant and kitchen helpers	61 000	41 300	19 700	9 800	10 000
Home-based personal care and related workers	76 900	57 300	19 600	14 900	4 600
Personal assistants	68 100	51 800	16 300	11 600	4 700
Child care workers	77 200	63 200	14 000	12 700	1 300
Warehouse and terminal Staff	73 400	60 100	13 300	2 400	10 900
Primary school teachers	94 500	82 400	12 100	8 500	3 600
Cooks and cold-buffet managers	37 200	26 300	10 900	4 300	6 700
Bus and tram drivers	23 100	13 600	9 500	600	9 000
Machine-tool operators	46 300	38 000	8 300	1 200	7 200
Office clerks not elsewhere classified	76 300	68 100	8 200	6 100	2 100
shop sales, specialty stores	89 300	81 200	8 200	4 500	3 600
shop sales, groceries	70 800	63 000	7 800	4 400	3 300
Software- and system developers	64 200	56 500	7 800	1 900	5 900
Total	4 214 600	3 571 600	643 000	313 600	329 400

1) According to the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations 2012 (SSYK2012) on the four-digit level. The figures are rounded to the nearest 100, and thus the shares do not always add up to 100.

Difference in distribution by sex among managers within education

Starting with the 2014 survey, occupations are reported according to the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK 2012). It reflects today's occupational structure better than the previous occupational classification (SSYK 96). Previously it was only possible to see managers within education combined in the Occupational Register. In the SSYK 2012 we can see managers within education divided into three groups. The managers within education were a part of a group dominated by women with 68 percent women and 32 percent men. Among Primary and secondary schools and adult education managers, the distribution was nearly the same, 63 percent women and 37 percent men. Among Preschool managers, the distribution was 89 percent women and 11 percent men. Within the smaller group Education managers not elsewhere classified, the sex distribution was even with 48 percent women and 52 percent men.

Employed managers by area of operations aged 16–64, 2014

Occupation^[1]	Women, number	Men, number	Women, percent	Men, percent
Finance managers	8 800	7 900	53	47
Human resource managers	4 800	2 900	62	38
Administration and planning managers	3 800	6 500	37	63
Information, communication and public relations managers	1 900	1 400	57	43
Sales and marketing managers	8 600	22 200	28	72
Administration and service managers not elsewhere classified	7 500	11 600	39	61
Information and communications technology service managers	2 800	9 000	24	76
Supply, logistics and transport managers	2 200	7 900	22	78
Research and development managers	1 300	3 700	26	74
Architectural and engineering managers	2 100	6 300	25	75
Real estate and head of administration manager	600	2 200	22	78
Production managers in construction and mining	1 200	14 700	8	92
Production managers in manufacturing	2 000	13 000	13	87
Forestry and agricultural production managers	100	500	12	88
Primary and secondary schools and adult education managers	6 200	3 700	63	37
Preschool managers	3 600	500	89	11
Education managers not elsewhere classified	400	400	48	52
Health care managers	8 100	2 600	76	24
Managers in social and curative care	2 700	1 100	72	28
Elderly care managers	7 800	1 300	86	14
Managers and leaders within religious bodies	200	500	31	69
Other social services managers	7 400	8 600	46	54
Financial and insurance managers	2 500	4 700	34	66
Hotel and conference managers	700	500	56	44
Restaurant managers	2 500	3 900	39	61
Retail and wholesale trade managers	2 900	6 800	30	70
Sports, leisure and wellness managers	300	500	42	58
Other services managers not elsewhere classified	2 000	4 300	32	68
Total	94 800	149 100	39	61

1) According to Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK 2012) on the three-digit level. All occupational groups excluding Politicians and government officials (SSYK 2012 code 111) and Managing directors and others. (SSYK 2012 code 112). The figures are rounded to the nearest 100, and thus the shares do not always add up to 100.

Foreign born persons have a higher education than is required by their occupation

Among employed foreign born persons, 29 percent had post secondary education that was 3 years or longer, while the corresponding figure for Swedish born persons was 26 percent. Nevertheless, foreign born persons were employed in occupations with lower requirements for qualifications than were Swedish born persons. 11 percent of the foreign born persons who worked in occupations that only required a shorter education or introduction had long post-secondary education. The corresponding figure for Swedish born persons was 3 percent.

Among persons who worked in occupations that normally require upper secondary education, like work in construction or the manufacturing industry, 72 percent of the Swedish born persons had upper secondary education, while the corresponding figure for foreign born persons was 55 percent. In this case, a greater share of Swedish born persons than foreign born persons had an education that matched the education requirement for the occupation.

Share of foreign born employees aged 16–64 by qualification requirements of occupation, 2014

Occupational skill level	Compulsory education	Upper secondary education	Tertiary education 1-2 years	Tertiary education >2 years	Unknown education
Managers	5	24	17	51	3
Occupation that requires tertiary education of at least 3 years	1	7	11	77	4
Occupation that requires tertiary education for 1-2 years	6	30	21	41	3
Occupation that requires upper secondary education	16	55	14	13	3
Occupation that requires no or low formal education	33	40	12	11	4
Missing value	22	34	14	18	12
Foreign born, number	94 200	247 700	89 400	186 000	25 700

The total figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Share of Swedish born employees aged 16–64 by qualification requirements of occupation, 2014

Occupational skill level	Compulsory education	Upper secondary education	Tertiary education 1-2 years	Tertiary education >2 years	Unknown education
Managers	4	31	22	43	0
Occupation that requires tertiary education of at least 3 years	1	11	18	69	0
Occupation that requires tertiary education for 1-2 years	5	45	25	24	0
Occupation that requires upper secondary education	12	72	11	5	0
Occupation that requires no or low formal education	21	68	8	3	0
Missing value	19	56	12	12	0
Born in Sweden, number	309 900	1 790 800	546 900	920 300	3 600

The total figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Definitions and explanations

The information refers to employees aged 16-64 who are classified as gainfully employed according to the definition in the register-based labour market statistics (RAMS): all persons who are assessed to have conducted an average of one hour's work per week during the month of November 2014. Even those who were temporarily absent during the measurement period, such as due to sickness, are included in the frame. The term employee also refers to self-employed persons who run their operations as a limited company.

The occupations follow the classifications used in the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations (SSYK 2012).

Publication

A more detailed report of this survey is published in a Statistical Report.

Next publishing will be

The next statistical news in this series will be published in March 2017.

Statistical Database

More information is available in the Statistical Database

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