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WORKING IN DENMARK

How many teenagers work part-time in Denmark and what jobs do they have?

One in three minors aged 13-17 who have part-time jobs in Denmark work in supermarkets, according to the most recent data from 2021.

How many teenagers work part-time in Denmark and what jobs do they have?
Many Danish teenagers take part time jobs at supermarkets. File photo: Signe Goldmann/Ritzau Scanpix

The figures, published in a Statistics Denmark report on Thursday, show that supermarkets are the biggest employer of under-18s in the country.

Some 38,000 people under the age of 18 received pay cheques from a supermarket or hypermarket (such as the large out-of-town Bilka stores) in 2021.

That is around 32 percent of all juniors who are employed in Denmark.

“It’s a strong community, also outside of work. They feel that they make a difference in customers’ daily lives and they get ongoing feedback which means a lot to them,” Louise Gade, HR director with Salling Group, told news wire Ritzau.

Salling is the largest supermarket company in Denmark and owns Bilka along with the Føtex and Netto chains.

Young staff are given additional responsibilities at work in stores when they do well, which helps them to thrive, Gade also said.

Although supermarkets are most popular overall for young people who take part time jobs, they do not always come top if the age groups are further broken down.

Danish law allows youngsters aged under 15 to work for up to two hours on schooldays and seven hours per day at the weekend, while people aged 15 or over can work up to two hours on schooldays and eight hours per day at the weekend.

While 16-17 year-olds most commonly work in supermarkets, people aged 13-15 are more likely to work on paper rounds delivering advertisements or newspapers.

Other sectors in which teenagers work include restaurants, retail, sport, agriculture and childcare.

The numbers show that, overall, 34.9 percent of all young people aged 13-17 had a job in Denmark in 2021. That corresponds to 119,500 people, which is approximately 10,000 more than in 2020.

Some 47,200 were between 13 and 15 years old, while 72,300 were aged 16 or 17.

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WORKING IN DENMARK

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 

The Danish parliament has agreed a 1.3 billion kroner spending plan that is designed to tackle social dumping and other problem areas at workplaces.

Denmark announces major spending plan to fight social dumping 

The deal, termed a “working environment agreement” (arbejdsmiljøaftale), specifies social dumping as a major area of focus.

“This is an agreement of historic level. I am happy that everyone is part of it,” employment minister Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen said following the conclusion of negotiations on Thursday.

Social dumping is the practice by which foreign workers are used to circumvent Danish collective bargaining agreements, saving employers money by hiring staff on wages and working conditions inferior to those set by the Danish labour model.

READ ALSO: ‘One in two’ tax inspections found social dumping at Danish companies

Some 673 million kroner of the total 1.3 billion are earmarked for prevention of social dumping.

“This is an anti social dumping effort that acts against labour crime and cheating the system. So that people who actually play by the rules get fair competition,” Halsboe-Jørgensen said.

Other elements of the spending will aim to address industrial accidents and mental health at workplaces.

“Work should not make you sick. Neither physically or mentally.  That’s why we’re also proud that we’re tackling psychological working environments,” Socialist People’s Party (SF) representative Astrid Carøe said.

The money provided by the deal will be spent over a four-year period from 2024 until 2027.

The signatory parties describe it as a “historically large grant” to the agency Arbejdstilsynet, which is responsible for ensuring acceptable working environments.

Increased inspection frequencies, introduced in a prior 2019 agreement, continue under the new deal.

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