What happened
The newspaper Arbetet has published new figures showing how pensions differ between different occupational groups. The review reports how large the average pension is depending on what job one has had during their life. The differences between different groups in the labor market are very large. According to the compilation, a politician receives three times as high a pension as a care assistant.
Our analysis
Many new Swedes wear out their bodies in elderly care. According to Almega, the highest number of vacancies among shortage occupations in vulnerable areas is found within care: assistant nurses, care assistants, and personal assistants. It is the people in these professions who do the heavy work and carry Sweden forward every day.
In the political debate, those in power constantly demand that new Swedes pull their weight and take any available job. But when working life is over, the pension envelope shows how that contribution is valued. Those who have lifted and cared for elderly Swedes for decades receive a pension that is barely enough to live on.
At the same time, politicians collect three times as much for sitting in meetings and giving speeches. The system is rigged to reward those who talk and punish those who carry. It is not those toiling on the floor who live off others, but the rulers who secure their own luxurious old age at taxpayers' expense.
Explained
Occupational pension is the portion of the pension paid by the employer in accordance with collective agreements. It makes up a growing share of future income and means that differences in salary lead to even greater differences in pension.