Two Sarahs: new motherhood in Sweden vs Seattle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you want and what your education level is. For a highly educated person, you can probably get more here and negotiate a better salary and work life balance. If you are sort of mediocre in terms of skills, then sweden is probably better.

Ha! The best you can get in the US is about 6 months maternity leave. That’s the minimum you get in Sweden. A highly skilled professional is much much better off in Sweden than the US.

[Anonymous]

Scandinavia--great if you are white, native-born Scandinavian entitled to all these benefits. Not great otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you want and what your education level is. For a highly educated person, you can probably get more here and negotiate a better salary and work life balance. If you are sort of mediocre in terms of skills, then sweden is probably better.

Ha! The best you can get in the US is about 6 months maternity leave. That’s the minimum you get in Sweden. A highly skilled professional is much much better off in Sweden than the US.

I can make way more here--enough that I can take off a long time from work with and without pay and still be better off than in Sweden.

[Anonymous]

Then why don't more of you move there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

Because my extended family is here. Love of family, which once motivated conservatives, is why I want both maternity leave and my life to be in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you want and what your education level is. For a highly educated person, you can probably get more here and negotiate a better salary and work life balance. If you are sort of mediocre in terms of skills, then sweden is probably better.

Ha! The best you can get in the US is about 6 months maternity leave. That’s the minimum you get in Sweden. A highly skilled professional is much much better off in Sweden than the US.

I can make way more here--enough that I can take off a long time from work with and without pay and still be better off than in Sweden.

Good for you!

However, judging by the much higher female participation rate in the Swedish economy, that’s not what happens for most people. I don’t understand why it’s hard to understand that more women would stay in the workforce if they had access to paid leave.

[Anonymous]

there are other ways Sweden is very dangerous for women.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I WISH I could!

It’s actually not that easy to immigrate to Sweden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:there are other ways Sweden is very dangerous for women.

L
O
L

Name one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather be in the USA and choose to work for a company with work life balance if that's what I desire in my life versus being forced to subsidize Sarah Sweden.

Yes, because everyone has such a "choice" easily available.

So you would rather subsidize Wal*Mart and Amazon?

+1 You'd rather subsidize the already rich profiteers than your fellow employees.

[Anonymous]

Sweden also has the most segregated labor market and the most challenges for people that are foreign-born.

It's a great place to work if you are a white, native-born Swedish woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I wish I could. The problem is, we would be leaving behind two sets of aging parents. And by the time they pass, I'll be too old for such a move - learning a new language, starting a new career...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I WISH I could!

It’s actually not that easy to immigrate to Sweden.

Of course, the only way they can afford to give these benefits is closed doors. Sweden is great if you are white and native-born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why don't more of you move there?

I wish I could. The problem is, we would be leaving behind two sets of aging parents. And by the time they pass, I'll be too old for such a move - learning a new language, starting a new career...

They likely wouldn't let you in. Countries with great social nets usually have homogeneous populations and very strict immigration laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on what you want and what your education level is. For a highly educated person, you can probably get more here and negotiate a better salary and work life balance. If you are sort of mediocre in terms of skills, then sweden is probably better.

Ha! The best you can get in the US is about 6 months maternity leave. That’s the minimum you get in Sweden. A highly skilled professional is much much better off in Sweden than the US.

I can make way more here--enough that I can take off a long time from work with and without pay and still be better off than in Sweden.

Good for you!

However, judging by the much higher female participation rate in the Swedish economy, that’s not what happens for most people. I don’t understand why it’s hard to understand that more women would stay in the workforce if they had access to paid leave.

+1