Employment in forestry unchanged

Nyhet | Statistik - 15 December 2022

Almost 31 000 people were employed in forestry during 2021, that is about the same level as 2020. Occupational accidents increased slightly during 2021.

Approximately 30 900 persons were employed in forestry in 2021, the development from 2020 is too small to be statistically significant. The number of employed persons increased after the storm Gudrun in 2005 and has varied between 25 000 and 31 000 since then.

In 2021, 14 percent of employed persons in forestry were women. Slightly below the highest share, 15 percent, from 2017.

Almost 47 000 with income from forestry

The most recent statistics on the number of people who have an income from forestry are from 2019, when approximately 46 800 people had an income from forestry. That is about the same level as recent years but lower than the years 2008 to 2015 when on average 52 700 had an income from forestry per year. The estimations includes both income in the form of wage and income as a sole proprietor.

Traditional employment statistics are usually delimited to the ages 15 to 74 or to specific time periods during the year. Forestry as an activity is characterized by seasonal work patterns, non-annual income and landowners with a high average age. For example, there were 6 300 persons with an income that were above the age of 74 during 2020. There has been a steady increase of people with income from forestry in this age group since 2009 when there were 2 100 persons with income above 74.

130 reported occupational accidents in 2021

Together with the statistics on employment other statistics about occupational injuries from the Swedish Work Environment Authority are also published. The 130 accidents reported in 2021 is a slight increase from 2020 when 114 injuries were reported. The number of reported injuries has fluctuated between 95 and 120 since 2008.

Note that these are only statistics on the number of reported accidents, there is no knowledge of the true occurrence of occupational accidents. Changes between years might only be a consequence of changed reporting habits. The two most common causes of the accidents are loss of control of machinery/equipment, followed by fall accidents. Since 2008 a total of 51 accidents have been fatal in forestry.

Explanation

The term forestry is based on the Swedish Standard Industrial Classification (SNI2007) which is in term based on the classifications system used by the European Union NACE Rev 2.

Statistics Sweden’s Labour Force Survey is the source of number of employed persons in 02 Forestry. An employed person in the statistics is either an employee or is self-employed or a family worker. The survey is delimited to people between ages 15 and 74.

The number of people with income is based on gross income that has been registered in income tax statements and reports from the employer. Both income in terms of wage and income as a sole proprietor (self-employed person) are included. No negative incomes (losses in businesses) are calculated, and only Swedish residents are included. The statistics are based on several of Statistics Sweden’s registries on work, employment and income.

An occupational accident is a sudden incident, physical or psychological damage that has occurred at the workplace or other place where the injured person has been while performing work duties. Only accidents that have led to absence from work are included in the statistics. The Swedish Work Environment Authority is the responsible authority for these statistics.

Statistiken ingår i Sveriges officiella statistik.