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$Unique_ID{COW01107}
$Pretitle{411}
$Title{Denmark
Selected Information on Doing Business in Denmark}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of Denmark, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Denmark, Washington DC}
$Subject{labor
employees
denmark
dkk
percent
work
workers
collar
employer
year}
$Date{1990}
$Log{Table 1.*0110701.tab
Table 2.*0110702.tab
Table 3.*0110703.tab
Table 4.*0110704.tab
Table 5.*0110705.tab
Table 6.*0110706.tab
Table 7.*0110707.tab
}
Country: Denmark
Book: Selected Information on Doing Business in Denmark
Author: Embassy of Denmark, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of Denmark, Washington DC
Date: 1990
Selected Information on Doing Business in Denmark
THE LABOR MARKET IN DENMARK
A. Labor Force
Denmark has a total labor force of about 2.8 million people of which 1.5
million or 54 percent are males and 1.3 million or 46 percent females. The
composition of the labor force by age for 1986 and projected 1995 is shown in
Table 1.
Due to the declining birth rates in recent decades, the number of young
people entering the labor market will continue to decrease for a number of
years. The number of workers in the age bracket of the labor force below 25
years is expected to decrease by 1995. The number in the age bracket between
25 and 44 will remain largely constant; whereas, an increase is expected in
the number of workers in the age segment from 45 to 59. The number of workers
60 years or older is also expected to increase.
Most of the labor force is employed in the service sector, manufacturing
accounts for less than one-fifth of employment; trade for about one-seventh.
Less than 8 percent of the labor force are employed in agriculture and in
construction. Table 2 shows the distribution of employment by industry.
Denmark had full employment in the 1960s and 1970s. Unemployment began to
rise in the 1970s following the first oil crisis and the rate peaked at 10.5
percent in 1983. During the 1980s the unemployment rate has ranged from 7 to 9
percent. The total number of jobs has been increasing steadily but not
sufficiently to absorb the increasing working population, in particular women
entering the labor force. Currently (early 1990) some 300,000 people, or
approximately 10 percent of the total labor force, are out of work.
B. Labor Costs
1. Wages and Salaries
There are no minimum wage provisions in the Danish legislation. The wages
are fixed through individual negotiations or collective bargaining. The basic
principle governing the wage fixation mechanisms of labor contracts is that
wage increases should be firmly based on corresponding improvements in
productivity.
a. Blue Collar Workers (wage earners)
The hourly wages vary from industry to industry and there are also
regional differences. The basic wage levels (excluding premiums, bonuses, and
holiday allowances) ranged from an average of DKK 71.47 (about $10) for
unskilled female workers in Western Jutland to DKK 107.37 (about $15) for
skilled workers in the Copenhagen area in the 1st quarter of 1989.
b. White Collar Workers (salaried employees)
White collar employees are usually paid a monthly salary which includes
an allowance for vacations and public holidays. There are differences in
salary levels between males and females and between the Copenhagen area and
the provinces. For example,the monthly median salary for Danish white collar
employees ranged from a low of DKK 11,873 (about $1,695) for women in the
island of Bornholm to DKK 20,676 (about $2,950) for male employees in
Copenhagen, in September 1988. The locational difference is generally less
than 10 percent for most occupations, with the exception of computer
programmers where the difference is 20 percent. The average monthly salary
paid to male employees in Copenhagen for selected occupations in September
1988 was as follows:
[See Table 1.: Average Monthly Salaries for Selected Occupations]
2. Fringe Benefits
Voluntary benefits include supplementary pension schemes, subsidized
canteens, free transportation, company cars, free uniforms, payments in kind
and group life insurance coverage. The granting of fringe benefits is the
prerogative of the employer. Standards in this field vary considerably from
company to company, but generally the fringe benefit costs are modest.
3. Profit-sharing
There are no mandatory profit sharing obligations in Denmark, but a
number of companies do offer their employees profit sharing schemes on a
voluntary basis. Companies may give their employees company shares up to an
annual amount of DKK 6,000 (about $860) per employee. Companies may also offer
their employees stock options for company shares at below-market value. Such
benefits are tax-free for the employees provided the tax authorities approve
of the scheme, and that the shares are not sold or disposed of within seven
years in the former case, and five years in the latter.
4. Overtime and Bonuses
Overtime premiums are not fixed by law and they vary considerably from
company to company. A 50 percent premium is not unusual for blue collar
workers.
Annual bonuses are not common.
5. Holidays and Vacation
There are ten public holidays each year. In addition to these, all
employees have a statutory right to paid vacations of not less than five
weeks.
Entitlement to paid vacation accrues during each calendar year and must
be taken in the year following the year of accrual. The vacation year runs
from May 2 in one calendar year to May 1 in the following calendar year. A
full year's works, whether or not with the same employer, gives the employee
full entitlement to vacation in the following year. The employer's obligation
to make payments for vacation is calculated pro rata to the length of the
employee's service with the employer in the year of accrual.
White collar employees receive their normal salary during the vacation
period plus a 1.2 percent vacation allowance. Blue collar workers receive a
vacation allowance of 12.5 percent of the annual wages (excluding vacation
time) in the year of accrual.
6. Indirect Costs
Indirect costs consist primarily of employer contributions to the
Supplementary Labor Market Pension (ATP), and premiums for accident insurance.
However, these are offset by certain allowances. There are also some minor
costs attributable to required health service and training costs. Indirect
labor costs are very low in Denmark, about 1.5 percent of the basic wages
and salaries, but amounting to practically not due to the offsetting
allowances.
Tables 3 and 4 present the components of labor costs for typical wage
earners and salaried employees. The total amount of labor cost for an
"average" blue collar worker is estimated at DKK 184,000 (about $26,300) and
amounts to 1.24 times the direct basic wages of such a worker. The total labor
cost for a white collar worker is estimated at DKK 210,542 (about 30,100) and
amounts to 1.17 times the direct salary of such a worker.
C. Regulations Concerning Working Conditions
1. Working Hours
Maximum working hours are not fixed by law but through agreement between
employers and trade unions. In accordance with a 1987 collective agreement,
working hours for 1990 are 37.0 hours per week.
A five-day week is the normal standard for most workers. The rules and
practices pertaining to working hours, shift work, and overtime are very
flexible. Working hours are fixed in accordance with the needs of the company.
2. Discrimination at the Work Place
Legislation enacted in 1978 provides for equal treatment of men and women
in employment, transfer, or promotion. Equal treatment also applies to working
conditions, dismissals, and training. Statements in advertisements that
persons of a particular sex would be preferred for employment, or training,
are not permitted.
An employer cannot dismiss an employee on the grounds that the latter is
a member of a trade union.
3.