2024-06-182023/24:AU10 · p.1AULabour market
National Audit Office's Report on the Control of Subsidised Employment
Controls on subsidised employment following the National Audit Office review
What's at stake: Subsidised employment is a tax-funded wage subsidy meant to help people far from the labour market, but weak controls make it attractive for systematic benefit fraud and organised economic crime. This affects the jobseekers the support is intended for, legitimate employers competing with cheating firms, and the taxpayers who fund the payments.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should rely on the government's ongoing work and the Public Employment Service's expanded powers of control, or instead require the government to implement the Audit Office's recommendations and also restore state funding for trade union consultation on subsidised employment.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee welcomes the review and treats the fight against incorrect payments and labour-market crime as a high priority, but sees no need for new demands on the government: the government largely agrees with the Audit Office's findings, the Public Employment Service has already been given expanded powers to vet employers and to refuse support, and the committee assumes the government will take further measures if needed.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S)
The Social Democrats want parliament to require the government to strengthen controls on subsidised employment and to restore state funding for trade union consultation, since union oversight is in practice part of the control system and the review found the vetting of employers without collective agreements to be deficient.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: closing the file on the government's report (no further action) and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 13/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Abstain 0/0/63/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2023/24:2840 by Ciczie Weidby et al. (V) amendments 1-5, 2023/24:2842 by Teresa Carvalho et al. (S) amendments 1-3 and 2023/24:2843 by Magnus Persson et al. (SD) amendments 1 and 2, and lays statement 2023/24:82 on the table.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:2840 av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V) yrkandena 1-5, 2023/24:2842 av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S) yrkandena 1-3 och 2023/24:2843 av Magnus Persson m.fl. (SD) yrkandena 1 och 2 samt lägger skrivelse 2023/24:82 till handlingarna.
Riksdag decision: Parliament has dealt with a statement from the government regarding the National Audit Office's examination of subsidised employment. That is, employment where the state, following a decision by the Public Employment Service, pays part of the wage costs, but in other respects has the same conditions as ordinary employment, and whether this is effective or not. The results of the examination are presented in the report Subsidised Employment – Countering Errors in a System with Serious Risks. Among other things, the assessment is made that the checks which the Public Employment Service performs when a subsidised employment is granted are ineffective, often due to neglected IT systems and cumbersome administration. The National Audit Office also assesses that the government has designed the subsidised employment in a way that entails risks of abuse, and this applies especially to start-up jobs. The report contains three recommendations to the government and three recommendations to the Public Employment Service. The Labour Market Committee welcomes the National Audit Office's examination, not least because abuse of subsidised employment in certain cases involves systematic and organised economic crime. The Committee notes that the government has taken a number of measures in response to the National Audit Office's findings. With this, Parliament laid the government's statement on the table and rejected the motions.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to strengthen controls of subsidized employment and reinstate government support for union consultation. (S) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan requires collective agreements in public procurement and points out wage dumping, economic crime and exploitation as central threats, which speaks for sharper control of employers receiving government employment support.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires collective agreements in public procurement and points out wage dumping, economic crime and exploitation as central threats, which speaks for sharper control of employers receiving government employment support. It also gives unions a decisive role in ensuring that laws and agreements are followed and wants to defend negotiation rights and strong labour law. Both sharper control and restored support for union consultation therefore lie in the plan's direction.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver kollektivavtal vid offentliga upphandlingar och pekar ut lönedumpning, ekonomisk brottslighet och utnyttjande som centrala hot, vilket talar för skärpt kontroll av arbetsgivare som får statliga anställningsstöd. Den tillmäter också facket en avgörande roll för att lagar och avtal följs och vill försvara förhandlingsrätten och en stark arbetsrätt. Både skärpt kontroll och återinfört stöd för fackligt samråd ligger därför i planens riktning.
- collective agreements as conditiondecisive»Vänsterpartiet ställer krav på kollektivavtal vid offentliga upphandlingar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party puts requirements on collective agreements in public procurement.”
- stop fraud and wage dumping»Lönedumpning, ekonomisk brottslighet och utnyttjande är centrala hot idag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Wage dumping, economic crime and exploitation are central threats today.”
- union influence strengthened»Fackföreningsrörelsen har en djup betydelse för människors makt i« (party programme ↗)“Trade union organization has deep significance for people's power in”
- strong labour law»Vänsterpartiet kommer att fortsätta försvara förhandlingsrätten och en stark arbetsrättslagstiftning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party will continue to defend negotiation rights and strong labour law legislation.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto requires measures against workplace crime and that public employers and procuring entities shall be role models for fair competition, and that it shall never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' conditions.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires measures against workplace crime and that public employers and procuring entities shall be role models for fair competition, and that it shall never pay to gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' conditions. Tightened control of subsidized employment follows directly from this. Re-introducing support for union consultation responds to the plan's and programme's view of union organizations as a necessary counterweight in working life.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver krafttag mot arbetslivskriminaliteten och att offentliga arbetsgivare och upphandlare ska vara föredömen för sund konkurrens, och att det aldrig ska löna sig att skaffa konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma anställdas villkor. Skärpt kontroll av subventionerade anställningar följer direkt av detta. Att återinföra stöd för fackligt samråd svarar mot planens och programmets syn på fackliga organisationer som nödvändig motvikt i arbetslivet.
- measures against workplace crimedecisive»Arbetslivs kriminalitet ska inte finnas på svensk arbetsmarknad och offentliga arbetsgivare och upphandlare ska vara föredömen i att verka för en sund konkurrens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Workplace crime shall not exist on the Swedish labour market and public employers and procuring entities shall be role models in promoting fair competition.”
- no profits on neglected conditions»Det ska aldrig löna sig att begå brott eller skaffa sig konkurrensfördelar genom att försumma de anställdas rätt till en trygg arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall never pay to commit crime or gain competitive advantages by neglecting employees' right to a safe working environment.”
- union participation as counterweight»Politisk och facklig organisering har alltid varit effektiva vapen mot kapitalintressena.« (party programme ↗)“Political and union organization has always been effective weapons against capital interests.”
- stop to incorrect payments»Skattefusk, välfärdsbrottslighet och penningtvätt ska stoppas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tax evasion, welfare fraud and money laundering shall be stopped.”
flags: citat_migrerat
The programme supports the Swedish model with collective agreements and states that trade union organizing should be encouraged, and that regulations are needed to prevent poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The programme supports the Swedish model with collective agreements and states that trade union organizing should be encouraged, and that regulations are needed to prevent poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers. The counter-proposal's demands for strengthened control of subsidized employment and reintroduced state support for union consultation are exactly such encouragement of the union's role in scrutinizing employers. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demands in substance.
Original (Swedish)
Programmet värnar den svenska modellen med kollektivavtal och slår fast att den fackliga organiseringen bör uppmuntras, samt att regelverk behövs för att motverka dåliga arbetsvillkor och oseriösa arbetsgivare. Motförslagets krav på stärkt kontroll av subventionerade anställningar och återinfört statligt stöd för fackligt samråd är just en sådan uppmuntran av fackets roll i granskningen av arbetsgivare. Planen stöder därför motförslagets krav i sak.
- encourage trade union organizingdecisive»Modellen bygger på att en hög andel av arbetstagarna är fackföreningsanslutna, och den fackliga organiseringen bör uppmuntras.« (party programme ↗)“The model is based on a high proportion of workers being union members, and trade union organizing should be encouraged.”
- the Swedish model and collective agreements»Vi värnar den svenska modellen där arbetsmarknadens parter gemensamt förhandlar fram vad som ska gälla på arbetsmarknaden genom kollektivavtal.« (party programme ↗)“We support the Swedish model where the parties of the labour market jointly negotiate what should apply on the labour market through collective agreements.”
- prevent unscrupulous employers»Ett öppet regelverk ställer samtidigt krav på nationella regleringar och internationella samarbeten för att motverka diskriminering, dåliga arbetsvillkor och oseriösa arbetsgivare.« (party programme ↗)“An open regulatory framework simultaneously requires national regulations and international cooperation to prevent discrimination, poor working conditions and unscrupulous employers.”
- workers' influence»Vi vill värna en fungerande arbetsrätt och ge arbetstagare inflytande över både arbetets innehåll och arbetstiden.« (party programme ↗)“We want to protect functioning labour law and give workers influence over both the content of work and working hours.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's bearing commitment in the field is that employment support shall be simplified and strengthened and that it shall become cheaper and easier to employ those who are far from the labour market.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's bearing commitment in the field is that employment support shall be simplified and strengthened and that it shall become cheaper and easier to employ those who are far from the labour market. The counter-proposal wants instead to reintroduce state support for union consultation, that is a new step and new cost in the assessment of support, which goes against the plan's requirement for clearing regulatory thicket. Sharpened control of incorrect payments accords in itself with the plan, but the institutional solution the counter-proposal requires does not.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande på området är att anställningsstöden ska förenklas och förstärkas och att det ska bli billigare och lättare att anställa dem som står långt från arbetsmarknaden. Motförslaget vill i stället lägga till ett återinfört statligt stöd för fackligt samråd, det vill säga ett nytt moment och en ny kostnad i prövningen av stöden, vilket går emot planens krav på uppröjning i regelträsket. Skärpt kontroll av felaktiga utbetalningar ligger i sig nära planen, men den institutionella lösning motförslaget kräver gör det inte.
- simplified employment supportdecisive»Förenkla och förstärk nystartsjobben och bredda de så kallade etableringsjobben.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Simplify and strengthen new-start jobs and broaden the so-called establishment jobs.”
- cheaper to employ»Det måste bli billigare och lättare att anställa, särskilt personer som står långt från arbetsmarknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It must become cheaper and easier to employ, particularly people who are far from the labour market.”
- less regulatory hassle»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clear away the regulatory thicket for entrepreneurs, large and small.”
Control against incorrect payments lies in line with the plan, but the counter-proposal's distinguishing demand is that state support for labour negotiation is restored.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
Control against incorrect payments lies in line with the plan, but the counter-proposal's distinguishing demand is that state support for labour negotiation is restored. The plan's institutional answer to inadequate control is instead a streamlined authority role and an independent labour market inspection, not state funding for party functions, and the plan consistently wants to reduce regulatory burden on employers. Therefore the demand is rejected, although on derived grounds.
Original (Swedish)
Kontroll mot felaktiga utbetalningar ligger i linje med planen, men motförslagets särskiljande krav är att statligt stöd för fackligt samråd återinförs. Planens institutionella svar på bristande kontroll är i stället en renodlad myndighetsroll och en fristående arbetsmarknadsinspektion, inte statliga bidrag till partsfunktioner, och planen vill genomgående minska regelbördan för arbetsgivare. Därför avvisas kravet, om än på härledd grund.
- state supervision instead of party supportdecisive»fristående arbetsmarknadsinspektion bör inrättas.« (party programme ↗)“independent labour market inspection should be established.”
- streamlined authority role»Arbetsförmedlingens myndighetsuppdrag ska tydligt skiljas från utförarrollen.« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish Public Employment Service's authority mandate shall be clearly separated from the provider role.”
- reduced regulatory burden»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska« (party programme ↗)“The regulatory burden on small businesses shall decrease”
- easier to employ»Därför vill vi att det ska bli enklare och billigare att anställa genom att arbetsgivaravgifterna sänks för både småföretagare och för dem som vill anställa unga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, we want it to become simpler and cheaper to employ by lowering employer contributions for both small business owners and for those who want to employ young people.”
The party programme requires that all crimes are effectively and without exception prosecuted and that benefit dependency is counteracted, which speaks for tightened control of subsidized employment and of employers.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires that all crimes are effectively and without exception prosecuted and that benefit dependency is counteracted, which speaks for tightened control of subsidized employment and of employers. Strong and politically independent trade unions are highly valued in the plan. The requirement for reinstated state support for union consultation is however not addressed, and the plan emphasizes a clear division of roles between the labour market parties and the state.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver att alla brott effektivt och utan undantag beivras och att bidragsberoende motverkas, vilket talar för skärpt kontroll av subventionerade anställningar och av arbetsgivare. Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar värderas högt i planen. Kravet på återinfört statligt stöd för fackligt samråd berörs däremot inte, och planen understryker en klar rollfördelning mellan arbetsmarknadens parter och staten.
- all crimes shall be prosecuteddecisive»Alla brott ska effektivt och utan undantag beivras« (party programme ↗)“All crimes shall be effectively and without exception prosecuted”
- counteract benefit dependency»uppmuntras, och att bidragsberoende motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“promoted, and that benefit dependency is counteracted.”
- independent unions»Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar« (party programme ↗)“Strong and politically independent trade unions”
- clear division of roles between parties and state»En klar rollfördelning ska upprätthållas« (party programme ↗)“A clear division of roles shall be maintained”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan shares the ambition for tightened control of payments and wants to halve benefit fraud, with among other things a benefit fraud unit and tightened penalties.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan shares the ambition for tightened control of payments and wants to halve benefit fraud, with among other things a benefit fraud unit and tightened penalties. But the counter-proposal's other part, to reintroduce state support for union consultation, adds administration and costs back to precisely the subsidized employment that the plan, on the other hand, wants to make cheaper and simpler to use. Since it is this part that distinguishes the counter-proposal from the committee's line, the plan rejects the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen delar ambitionen om skärpt kontroll av utbetalningar och vill halvera bidragsbrotten, med bland annat en bidragsbrottsenhet och skärpta straff. Men motförslagets andra led, att återinföra statligt stöd för fackligt samråd, lägger tillbaka administration och kostnader på just de subventionerade anställningarna som planen tvärtom vill göra billigare och enklare att använda. Eftersom det är det ledet som skiljer motförslaget från utskottets linje avvisar planen kravet.
- cheaper to employdecisive»Kraftigt sänka anställningskostnaderna för den som anställer nyanlända och långtidsarbetslösa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly reduce employment costs for those who employ newly arrived and long-term unemployed”
- less red tape»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one third of companies' administrative costs and one third of red tape”
- tightened control of payments»Inrätta en bidragsbrottsenhet på Försäkringskassan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a benefit fraud unit at the Social Insurance Agency”
- tougher on benefit fraud»Skärpa straffen för bidragsbrott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten penalties for benefit fraud”
The plan's response to subsidized employment is to abolish the ineffective programmes and stop public funds to sham jobs, not to build up control together with union structures.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's response to subsidized employment is to abolish the ineffective programmes and stop public funds to sham jobs, not to build up control together with union structures. The plan also explicitly wants to depoliticize workplace safety work and wind down politically controlled trade unions' special position, which speaks against reintroducing state support for union consultation. Enhanced control of fraud is supported in substance, but the counter-proposal's demands as a whole are rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Planens svar på subventionerade anställningar är att avskaffa de ineffektiva programmen och att stoppa offentliga medel till låtsasjobb, inte att bygga ut kontrollen tillsammans med fackliga strukturer. Planen vill dessutom uttryckligen avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet och avveckla politiskt styrda fackförbunds särställning, vilket talar emot att återinföra statligt stöd för fackligt samråd. Skärpt kontroll av fusk stöds i sak, men motförslagets krav som helhet avvisas.
- avpolitisera fackens rolldecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill avpolitisera arbetsmiljöarbetet genom att avveckla politiskt styrda fackförbunds företrädesrätt att utse skyddsombud.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to depoliticize workplace safety work by winding down politically controlled trade unions' right to appoint safety representatives.”
- avskaffa subventionerade program»Avskaffa ineffektiva arbetsmarknads- och integrationsprogram som är skapade för att dölja arbetslöshet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish ineffective labour market and integration programmes created to hide unemployment”
- inga offentliga medel till låtsasjobb»Stoppa användandet av offentliga medel till låtsasjobb« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop the use of public funds for sham jobs”
- krafttag mot bidragsfusk»Skärpa straffen för fusk inom välfärdssystemen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten penalties for fraud within welfare systems”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:AU10)
- Committee report full text (HB01AU10)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:2840 — med anledning av skr. 2023/24:82 Riksrevisionens rapport om kontrollen av subventionerade anställningar av Ciczie Weidby m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:2842 — med anledning av skr. 2023/24:82 Riksrevisionens rapport om kontrollen av subventionerade anställningar av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2843 — med anledning av skr. 2023/24:82 Riksrevisionens rapport om kontrollen av subventionerade anställningar av Magnus Persson m.fl. (SD)
- Regeringens skrivelse 2023/24:82 — Riksrevisionens rapport om kontrollen av subventionerade anställningar
Source: The Swedish Parliament