Skellefteå is among the municipalities experiencing the largest increase in unemployment in the county.
Norran has previously reported that Skellefteå leads Västerbotten in rising unemployment, a trend that has accelerated over the past year. The latest report from the news site Newsworthy confirms this upward trajectory hasn't stalled.
This marks the ninth consecutive month that Skellefteå's unemployment rate is higher than it was during the same period the previous year. In June, Skellefteå municipality reported a total unemployment rate of 8.2 percent, representing a 5.4 percentage point increase compared to last year.
From ages 16 to 65, a total of 3,233 out of 39,427 residents in Skellefteå municipality were registered as job seekers in June - 2,177 more than in June 2024.
Lorents Burman told Norran:
– These numbers are exactly what we expected after Northvolt was wound down. A year ago, 4,500 people worked there, and the majority had moved here - over 1,000 of them from outside Europe. So there are understandable reasons for the sharp rise in unemployment figures recently.
– Skellefteå has very strong growth if you exclude the whole Northvolt situation. A huge amount of focus has been on the battery factory over the past seven years. But with the mining industry, sawmill sector, and power production we have here, Skellefteå has a really solid industrial foundation. Massive investments will be made in Skellefteå’s business sector over the next ten years – it’s a secure position and the outlook is very good.
Lorents Burman, mayor of Skellefteå.
There are high hopes that Northvolt will be sold to a new battery manufacturer.
– The goal has always been to see Northvolt's facilities operational once more. Europe is significantly behind in battery production, a deficit that needs urgent correction. Therefore, Europe's first and largest battery factory simply cannot be allowed to shut down, says Burman.
– Hopefully, the new owner won’t be in such a rush, but will instead build up battery production in line with the demands placed on it.
The mayor concludes:
– This is a very different kind of unemployment. We’re truly saddened that so many people have left Skellefteå. We hope a new battery production company takes over in the near future - and that those who left the city after the bankruptcy will want to return to Skellefteå.