Jobs Have Gotten Better – But Stress Is on the Rise
Job quality in Sweden has improved significantly over the past 50 years, but at the same time, workplace stress has sharply increased. This is shown in the doctoral thesis by sociologist Edvin Syk, presented at the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), Stockholm University.
"There’s been a clear improvement in job quality across several dimensions since the late 1960s. Women in particular have seen the greatest improvements, and gender differences have narrowed significantly," says Edvin Syk.
In his dissertation, Syk analyzes the development of job quality in Sweden and Europe from the 1960s to the present. His research shows that tasks, work environment, and flexibility have generally improved—but also points to a troubling trend regarding stress.
"Workplace stress has increased dramatically. This may be related to the fact that complex jobs with high workloads have become more common, without a corresponding rise in autonomy," he says.
Overall, the dissertation shows that job quality has improved for both men and women, with better physical working conditions, more flexible working hours, and jobs becoming more stimulating due to increased complexity. However, the improvements have been stronger for women, especially since the 1980s.
"Gender gaps in job quality have almost disappeared. Women have increasingly moved out of low-skilled jobs into more qualified roles, where working conditions are generally better," he explains.
At the same time, overall inequality in working conditions has declined over time, not just between genders but also across other groups in society. Each new generation of workers has had, on average, better job quality throughout their careers than the generation before.
Syk also compares Sweden to other European countries and shows that class differences in job quality are smaller in the Nordic region than in Southern Europe. In countries like Sweden and the Netherlands, the quality of work has improved more effectively for the most disadvantaged occupational groups than in countries like Greece or Spain.
"There are significant differences in working conditions between occupational classes across Europe. But we also see a regional pattern – lower occupational classes generally enjoy better conditions in Northern Europe compared to similar groups in Southern Europe."
What is job quality?
Job quality refers to working conditions that affect people’s well-being and health at work. It includes factors such as task complexity, physical work environment, stress levels, flexibility in working hours, and the degree of autonomy. Edvin Syk uses the concept to study how working life conditions have changed over time and what this means for different groups in society. His research draws on data from large-scale surveys, including the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and the European Working Conditions Surveys.
Last updated: April 8, 2025
Source: Magnus Dahl