ABSTRACT
Since 1954 Sweden has had an agreement on the free movement of labour between the Nordic countries within the framework of which, at times, large numbers of - in particular Finnish - workers came to Sweden. European Union (EU) enlargement in 2004 was preceded by a lively debate on its potential effects on the Swedish economy and labour market. Although the main actors, notably the social partners, had different views on the details, there was broad agreement on the benefits of cross-border labour mobility, from both an economic and a political point of view. A government report concluded that the Swedish labour market should be open to the citizens of accession states, and that increased labour migration through enlargement could generate economic gains. The main Swedish employers' organization, Svenskt Naringsliv (SN), is in favour of regulated labour migration from third countries, it is very positive in general towards increased labour mobility, both within and from outside the EU.
