1. E-Commerce

Of the 10 million people in Sweden, over 80% (8.1 million) regularly shop online. Therefore, major retailers like IKEA and ICA Gruppen were already well-placed to handle the spike in online shopping during the pandemic, and onboarded thousands of E-Commerce workers – from Package Handlers through to Supply Chain Specialists – to help get products into the hands of customers. Hiring for these roles grew by 101% between 2019 and 2020.

2. Retail

With many shops forced to close during the pandemic, major retailers like WIllys and ICA Gruppen remained open to provide crucial supplies to the public. Cashier was the most common Retail job title, with a 99% growth between 2019 and 2020. Of the total hires, 69% were female with an average age of 22, and only 15% held a known degree.

3. Specialised Medical Professionals

Unlike many other countries, Sweden did not impose a lockdown and kept large parts of its society open in 2020. However, despite the different lockdown approach, the impact on healthcare roles showed a similar pattern to the rest of Europe. Overall, there was a 62% growth in hires for Specialised Medical Professionals in 2020, of which 78% were female.

4. Healthcare Supporting Staff

Due to the social distancing measures put in place by the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients in Sweden were reluctant or unable to visit their doctors in hospitals or medical centres. As a result, we saw a 73% growth in Healthcare Supporting Staff roles in 2020, such as Home Care Specialists, who provide care to the elderly and people in need. Laboratory Assistant was another common job title, with hundreds hired in 2020 by hospitals and medical laboratories, possibly to support vaccine development. 

5. Manufacturing

In the context of 2020 and the global pandemic, Manufacturing may not seem like the most obvious category to appear on this year’s list. However, with top hiring companies like Volvo Cars restarting European production, there has been a sharp increase in demand for roles such as Forklift Operator and Assembly Line Worker – all contributing to a 92% rise in Manufacturing roles in 2020.

6. Business Development and Sales

Like many countries, Sweden provided financial support to companies negatively affected by COVID-19. Whilst this provided much-needed relief, many companies were forced to rethink and adapt their strategies in order to stay above water. Strategic Advisor and Business Strategy Analyst were amongst the top hired job titles in this category, which grew by 67% in 2020.

7. Education

The pandemic placed many restrictions on the Education sector in 2020. With schools and universities forced to close, many academic institutions used online learning to ensure a continuity in Education services. As a result, Education roles grew by 39% in 2020, of which 62% of total hires were female with an average age of 26. Interestingly, in 2020, we saw Software Engineers transition to Teaching Assistant roles, and Social Workers transition to Guidance Counsellors – possibly exploring new career paths as a result of job losses.

8. Technology

Technology could be considered a pandemic-proof job category as it’s constantly evolving and growing. This year, Technology-based roles, from gaming and animation to cybersecurity and UX design, grew by 52%. With the surge in E-Commerce activity in 2020 naturally resulting in more cyber fraud, it’s understandable that Cyber Security Analyst and Security Architect were amongst the most common jobs hired.

9. Legal

There will always be a demand for Legal-based roles to keep the cogs of society turning. In 2020 this category grew by 43% with a rise in hires for roles such as Court Administrator and Law Clerk. Of all the hires in 2020, 62% were female with an average age of 26, the average age suggesting the roles were more entry-level.

10. Product Development/Management

With the majority of people shopping online in 2020, companies invested in Product Design and Product Development to ensure a seamless experience for their customers. This resulted in a 34% rise in hires, predominantly for Product Team Managers, with top hiring companies including the H&M Group and Volvo Cars.

11. Customer Service

Travel restrictions, lockdowns, and curfews have pushed businesses to find new ways of serving their customers, leading to a 56% growth in Customer Service roles. This includes both retail and call centre roles, with businesses adapting from in-person to virtual methods to help support customers. Top hiring companies included Swedbank, Folksam, and Nordea.

12. Social Media / Digital Marketing

With online usage increasing year-on-year, it’s understandable that Social Media and Digital Marketing grew by 47% in 2020. With E-Commerce taking centre stage as a result of the pandemic, companies searched for Social Media and Digital Marketing talent to drive more traffic to their websites. While hiring for roles such as Digital Strategist have been consistently high in recent years, this year we saw a sharp increase in roles such as Growth Specialist, suggesting a demand for candidates with a more holistic skill-set.

13. Professional and Personal Coaches

After a year of significant job losses across many industries, we saw many people transition into new career paths, such as Professional and Personal Coaches (92% growth in 2020), and use their skills to help others. Fitness instructors was one role transitioning into Life Coaches, most likely a result of safety and social distancing measures being introduced in gyms. Of all hires in 2020, it’s worth noting that 88% were female.

14. Scientist

While frontline workers, such as Nurses, battled against the surge in COVID-19 cases in hospitals, Scientists worked away behind-the-scenes on the developments of vaccines, contributing to a 96% growth in Scientist roles. Biologists, in particular, were in high demand, most likely to support clinical trials. Global pharmaceutical companies including Roche and AstraZeneca were amongst the top hiring companies. 

15. Data & Analytics

With online shopping sky-rocketing in 2020, top hiring companies like Klarna and H&M invested in their E-Commerce platforms to keep up with demand. Data & Analytics was one key focus area, which saw a 38% growth in 2020. This category saw more male hires (65%) than female hires, with previous jobs including Software Engineer and Business Analyst.