Over the last two decades, the Greater Copenhagen Region, spanning the border between Denmark and Sweden, has emerged as a hub for economic activity and development in Scandinavia. In 2023, cross-border employment reached a record high of 20 500 people. Despite its dynamic economy, marked by high employment and low unemployment, the region faces internal inequalities in labour market performance. Relatively high unemployment rates on the Swedish side coincide with increasing labour and skills shortages, especially on the Danish side of the border. Additionally, third-country nationals (non-EU citizens) residing in the region have yet to fully benefit from the steady integration of the Greater Copenhagen labour market.
This report examines barriers to cross-border mobility, particularly for third-country nationals, and offers recommendations to regional and national governments to help the region achieve its full potential. It also explores ways to better co-ordinate employment and skills policies to foster cross-border labour mobility and inclusion. Insights and recommendations are informed by detailed reviews of three other EU cross-border regions: the Greater Region, the Meuse-Rhine Region and the Austrian-German border area.
ITEM has contributed to this project by means of two studies:
Barriers to cross-border labour mobility for TCNs – learning from other EU cross-border regions (Chapter 4): This Chapter examines cross-border worker flows in three EU border regions: Luxembourg and the bordering countries (Belgium, Germany and France), the Meuse-Rhine Region (Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands) and the Austria/Germany border region. These regions feature high cross-border mobility, a significant share of TCNs or posted workers, and well-developed governance structures and EURES (EURopean Employment Service) networks.
Information-sharing and coordination of employment and skills systems (Chapter 5): This Chapter analyses measures for information-sharing and co-ordination of public employment and skills policies to enhance cross-border labour mobility. First, the Chapter maps existing measures for information-sharing and co-ordination in the Greater Copenhagen Region. Second, the Chapter reviews existing measures in three EU cross-border – the Greater Region, the Meuse-Rhine Region and the Upper Rhine border region – to identify promising practices and derive lessons to the Greater Copenhagen Region.
