Sweden's Liberal Party moves to scrap Rusta och matcha reform

The Liberal Party has announced plans to scrap the ‘Rusta och matcha’ reform, a privatization initiative originally implemented in 2019 at the behest of the Center Party. Labor Minister Johan Britz criticized the reform as expensive and ineffective, stating that it prioritizes market opportunities over those in need of significant societal support.

A report from the Institute for Employment Market and Labor Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU) indicates that support provided through private actors in the program is up to 70 percent more expensive and significantly less efficient than alternative methods. The findings suggest that participants in the program are less likely to secure jobs or enter education compared to control groups.

Furthermore, an investigation by SVT has highlighted serious ethical concerns regarding private providers. Hidden recordings suggest that some providers are willing to facilitate fraud and have actively reinforced gender roles and honor-based oppression. In response to these findings, Arbetsförmedlingen has increased oversight and terminated hundreds of contracts with unreliable actors.