Record employment levels continue

August saw the total number of people employed in Denmark increase for the seventh consecutive month. An additional 15,000 people found work, bringing the national total to 2,869,000, new Statistics Denmark data shows.

High employment figures throughout the summer and autumn have been accompanied by reports of a booming economy but increasingly acute labour shortage.

READ ALSO: Are international workers the answer to Denmark’s labour shortage?

Archaeological discovery shows Vikings lived in Canada 1,000 years ago 

The Vikings crossed the Atlantic 1,000 years ago and therefore several centuries before Columbus, according to a new archaeological discovery reported by broadcaster DR yesterday.

Research has dated a Viking settlement named L’Anse aux Meadows on Newfoundland to the year 1021. The date was found by Carbon-14 dating wooden fragments from the settlement. 

Only half of calls to crisis helpline went answered

Around half of people who call mental health helpline Livslinien do not get through to an advisor, DR reports.

14,328 of 165,732 calls to the helpline in 2020 were not picked up, according to the report. Because many call back up to several times after not getting through initially, this means around half of callers get through to an advisor.

The crisis line’s director said more operators – who must have the professional and personal skills to manage the calls, which are often from people experiencing suicidal thoughts – were needed. He also called for a national plan of action for suicide prevention.

Livslinien can be contacted on 70 201 201, or through the chat function on livslinien.dk. Online advice can be found on skrivdet.dk. It helps to put difficult thoughts into words, and you can do this anonymously, DR stresses in its report.

Treasure hunt off Greenland for marine diamonds

Greenland’s seabed is being studied to see if it is home to marine diamonds, in a survey conducted on behalf of international diamond group De Beers, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) said yesterday.

The sonar inspections were to take place off Greenland’s western coast, in a zone measuring 800 kilometres, the report said.

Western Greenland is already known to have onshore diamonds, but De Beers is attempting to find out whether the precious gems may have been carried out to sea during geological movements.