It is against the background of the gainful employment of most women that pressures have mounted to give people time off to attend to traditional women’s chores: care of the sick, raising of children, home services. Thus the absenteeism rights are a consequence of the full labour force participation of both sexes.

The paradox of fewer working hours but more workers resolves simply in an upsurge of so-called part-time jobs. (We say “so called” because traditional part-time jobs are becoming the norm.) Again, the Swedish tax system encourages the trend. Wages from a full-time job are taxed at rates between 50 and 85 per cent; the part-timer can reap the lion’s share of his or her earnings.

Unemployment is low in Sweden. Underemployment is normal. When we asked a national sample in October, 1980: “How many hours of overtime would you be able to work if you really had to?” we found that 52 per cent thought they would be able to work 10 or more hours a week in excess of their regular working hours.

Many benefits of the welfare state are linked to holding a regular job: thus the regular job holders are the only first-class citizens. But more short-term benefits may flow from black-market jobs. The Swedes of today tend to prefer to have a foot in both economies. A characteristic trend was picked up in one of our interviews:

“For part of the day almost all Swedes are good Social Democrats with steady jobs, orderly working conditions and a workplace that meets safety and other physical requirements. During these hours they accumulate points for their state pensions, pay union dues, and part with half of their income in taxes to the state, county, and local governments. This part of the day can be short or long. In my own business (in the building trades) it’s not