If people in Denmark had to cycle 10 percent more than they do now, it would result in over 235,000 fewer sick days, 12.5 million liters of saved petrol and diesel and DKK 2.5 billion in socio-economic health benefits, according to an analysis of Danish Industry (DI) Transport.
But even though Denmark has one of the highest rates of everyday cycling in the world, more Danes buy cars. According to DI, 20 percent fewer Danes cycle today than eight years ago.
“I do not think it has fully dawned on politicians yet how big and growing a societal problem it is. This is something that should concern politicians who work with health, climate, environment, energy, transport and not least the economy, โsays Karsten Lauritzen, industry manager at DI Transport.
โThis is good businessโ
In addition to encouraging political action, Lauritzen has urged business owners to take note of how increasing cycling can affect their bottom line. According to DI’s analysis, the reduction of sick days alone can save employers DKK 223 million every year.
โUnfortunately, many employers do not see it as their task and responsibility to influence employees’ transport habits. But they probably should. It is a good business – both for the individual, the company and society, because it leads to fewer sick days, “said Lauritzen.
“Maybe companies can even save on parking spaces, which is a huge expense,” he added.
The SAS negotiations will resume tomorrow
Tomorrow, negotiations begin again on a new collective agreement between SAS and its pilots. Since the strike began, the airline has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights. According to TV2, a travel agency received almost 300 inquiries from customers affected by cancellations in just four hours. In addition, SAS pilots had dropped a concession to operate a limited number of charter flights during the strike, leaving as many as 10,000 Scandinavian holidaymakers in Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia and Turkey over the weekend. SAS says it will be fully operational within two to three days of an agreement – if one is reached.
The development of wind farms is too slow, says Sรธrensen
Lars Sandahl Sรธrensen, head of Danish Industry, has said that the authorities should spend a maximum of two years planning offshore wind turbine projects. According to Sรธrensen, if the legislative treatment, delivery and construction of future offshore wind farms takes as long as it has done in the past, no one will be operational by 2030 – the year in which the government hopes to fivefold the country’s offshore electricity production. wind turbine.
On the heels of EU candidacy, labor market reform in Moldova
As of June 23, Moldova has been granted candidate status in the EU. In preparation for its possible accession to the EU, Danish Industry is working to strengthen local workers’ organizations in the country – especially to help people move from informal to formal labor. Officially, only 40 percent of the working-age population in Moldova is employed, but experts estimate that many people work in the informal labor market, where they do not benefit from sickness benefits, pension benefits and security regulations.
Several Danish companies go bankrupt
Bankruptcies are increasing in Denmark – 259 companies filed for bankruptcy in June. According to Allan Sรธrensen, chief economist at Dansk Industri, price increases and material shortages are behind Danish companies’ financial problems, where construction companies are particularly hard hit. He said the continued economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic is also a factor.
Foreclosure rates low for now
The number of forced auctions in Denmark increased to 342 in the second quarter of 2022 – against 309 in the first quarter. However, the number of foreclosures remains low in relation to historical levels, Statistics Denmark reported despite increased inflation and rising interest rates. But according to Danish Industry, the housing market is slow to respond to economic shocks, and the foreclosure auction is likely to increase in 2023 and 2024.
MeeW offers solution to the shortage of IT specialists
After struggling to find new employees, the IT company MeeW has started its own training course to teach young and unemployed IT skills. According to a study conducted by Rambรธll for DI Digital, 8 out of 10 IT companies have experienced similar challenges in recruiting IT specialists. MeeW says that their course has actually halved the mistakes made by new developers, and those who complete the course are either employed by MeeW or referred to other Danish companies in need of IT support.
The Tax Act revised for workers from abroad
The Danish Tax Agency has updated its rules so that companies can make half-year salary adjustments for employees recruited from abroad. According to the tax policy head of Danish Industry, Jacob Brรฆstrup, the new rules are important because they help Danish companies attract specialists from abroad. Previously, salary adjustments for international employees could only be made at the beginning of the calendar year.
French wind power expansion creates opportunities for Danish companies
France plans to upgrade its offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts in 2050 – equivalent to 20 percent of the country’s total current electricity consumption – and Danish Industry says it is the perfect opportunity for Danish companies to offer their services. Currently, the projects under consideration are two 250 megawatt offshore wind projects in the Mediterranean, both with the potential for expansion, as well as a 250 megawatt farm off the west coast of France. The Danish embassy in Paris is ready to assist Danish companies wishing to enter the French market.
Lack of labor affects the Danish business community
New figures from STAR, the Danish Agency for Labor Market and Recruitment, show an increase in the number of positions that companies completely give up filling. The number has risen to 13,000 in June – up from 12,000 in March. According to Peter Halkjรฆr, head of the labor market at Dansk Erhverv, the trend costs companies revenue and growth, just as it causes Denmark to miss out on tax revenues and jobs. He has said that Parliament’s recent decision to lower the minimum income required for a foreigner to apply for a residence and work permit is a step in the right direction.
Foreign tourists return to DK
The number of foreigners staying at Danish hotels, campsites and other accommodation establishments has increased significantly in 2022. With 7.4 million overnight stays from January to May, the number has increased 3 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level – and is more than ten times as many as 700,000 overnight stays registered in the first five months of 2021. Dansk Erhverv expects the trend to continue, but says that a shortage of labor in the tourism industry may make it difficult for some companies to meet increased demand.
Danske Bank lowers expectations
Danske Bank has downgraded its earnings expectations by DKK 3 billion and blames “unfavorable conditions in the financial markets”. In February, the bank had forecast a profit in 2022 of between DKK 13 and 15 billion, but the latest projections predict a profit of between DKK 10 and 12 billion. Danske Bank expects that income from the bank’s core activities will be higher in 2022 than in 2021, but that income from trade and insurance will fall.
Mining robots on their way from Canada
The Royal Navy has purchased underwater mining equipment from a Canadian robot company. Kraken Robotics Inc announced the sale of their ‘KATFISH towed synthetic aperture sonar’ yesterday. The deal is the result of a previously signed contract, which also indicates Denmark’s intention to purchase autonomous launch and recovery systems from the company. The systems will be integrated on board the fleet’s optional unmanned surface vessels. Testing of the systems is expected to be completed later this year.
Employment among “non-Western” immigrants at the highest level ever
“Non-western” immigrants are employed at a historically high pace, shows Dansk Metal’s analysis of data from Statistics Denmark. Nearly 60 percent of non-Western immigrants between the ages of 15 and 64 were employed in a salaried job in the first quarter of 2022 – the highest proportion since the surveys began 14 years ago. In addition, the proportion of non-Western immigrant women in employment increased by 8 percentage points compared to two years ago.
Danish company sues Google
The Danish online job search tool Jobindex has filed an anti-trust complaint against Google and says that the search engine has unfairly favored its own job search service in results. The European Commission said it would assess the complaint according to standard procedures. This is not the first time that Google has come up again with the EU’s antitrust efforts. A German media group filed a similar complaint against Google four years ago, and in recent years the company has been fined more than โฌ 8 billion by Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner for Competition, for various anti-competitive practices.
Source: The Nordic Page