Swedish crackdown on labour market crime yields over €16 million in recovered funds

A coordinated push by nine Swedish authorities against labour market crime led to more than 4,000 workplace inspections in 2025, recovering 187 million kronor (over €16 million), public broadcaster SVT Nyheter reports. The figure marks a more than twofold increase compared to 2024.

Agencies including the Swedish Work Environment Authority, Tax Agency, Police Authority, and Equality Agency presented the results on Monday, calling labour market crime “a serious societal problem that appears to be growing.”

“Organised crime profits heavily from labour market crime by distorting competition, evading taxes and fees, circumventing laws, and exploiting workers—undermining our entire welfare system,” said Mats Berggren, deputy head of the Police Authority’s National Operations Department (Noa).

The inspections, the highest number since the cross-agency collaboration began in 2018, also targeted human trafficking and worker exploitation, described as a priority area. Paulina Bolton of the Equality Agency’s anti-trafficking unit stressed the need for better cooperation and outreach to vulnerable employees.

Nina Blomkvist, national coordinator at the Tax Agency, noted the effort aims not only to halt illegal operations but to protect law-abiding businesses and workers.

Labour market crime includes tax evasion, wage theft, undeclared work, and violations of employment laws. Authorities warned that foreign workers are particularly at risk of exploitation.