Strandhäll leads proposal for reduced workweek in Sweden

During the spring and summer, Annika Strandhäll, a member of the Social Democratic Party, has led a working group tasked with developing new labor market policies for the party. On Friday, she is expected to present the group’s findings at a press conference. According to reports, one of the main proposals will suggest that the Social Democrats advocate for reducing the standard workweek from 40 hours to 35 hours. The working group recommends that the party push for legislation from the Swedish Parliament mandating a general reduction in working hours applicable across all sectors.

Strandhäll’s working group is one of eleven groups that have been formulating policy proposals in preparation for the 2026 elections. The proposals to be presented on Friday should be viewed as preliminary suggestions rather than finalized party policies; they will serve as a basis for discussion at the party’s congress next year.

In Sweden, labor regulations specify the maximum number of hours an individual may work weekly. The current law allows for a maximum of 40 working hours per week, a standard that has been in place since it was last amended in 1973. Approximately 80 percent of office workers and 74 percent of manual laborers are engaged in a 40-hour workweek.