A country with a highly qualified labour force will be able to meet both the requirements of decent wages and the requirements of using all available input to production. More than 8 percent unemployment is, according to my opinion, a huge problem, but at the same time it is a huge potential. If all these people can be put in production, growth can increase tremendously. Education alone cannot, however, solve the problem. The unemployment policy has to be evolved continously.
Training is better than passively receiving benefits.
High benefits are only sustainable if they are combined with uncompromisable demands on unemployed to take jobs and accept training. I am proud to note that Sweden still has the lowest long term unemployment rate within the Union because of our active unemployment policy. Work is the base for Swedish welfare. Only by maintaining one of the world's largest shares of the population in the labour force, Sweden can keep up thegood welfare. I am convinced that Sweden is heading in the rightdirection.