The best city for working families

moncler outlet uk The cobbled streets of Stockholm may be cold and snowy during winter, but Europe fastest growing city is one of the world hottest startup hubs and a magnet for international talent. moncler outlet uk

moncler jackets outlet Home to fewer than one million people, Sweden capital is the birthplace of Skype, Spotify and Mojang; only Silicon Valley boasts more billion dollar companies per capita, according to investment firm Atomico. moncler jackets outlet

Once the snow melts in early spring, the city is among the greenest in the world. Nestled on 14 islands, two thirds of Stockholm is made up of either water or parks. And locals make it a priority to enjoy these serene surroundings. Fewer than 1% of Swedish cheap moncler sale employees work more than 50 hours per week, one of the lowest rates in the OECD.

cheap moncler outlet Fewer than 1% of Swedish employees work more than 50 hours per week. cheap moncler outlet

moncler outlet Quality of life is paramount. New parents are given 480 days of leave to look after their infants, which can be split between them, while childcare moncler outlet online is heavily subsidised. Little wonder that Sweden was rated the best location in the world for family life in HSBC 2015 Expat Explorer survey. moncler outlet

moncler outlet sale absolutely a 10 out of 10, said Adam Webb, 34, a British entrepreneur and father of one. is geared towards helping parents, from giving cheap moncler coats dads time off on almost full pay to free bus rides for anyone with a buggy. haven for hipsters, Stockholm also https://www.moncleroutletssale.com boasts what Vogue magazine recently ranked as Europe coolest neighbourhood. cheap moncler outlet On the island of S just south of the city centre, independent record stores still make money, while a thriving vintage scene and plethora of cosy cafes offer a taste for Scandinavia love affairs with timeless style and freshly brewed coffee. moncler outlet sale

moncler outlet jackets View image of A haven for hipsters, Stockholm ranks as Europe’s coolest neighbourhood. (Credit: Alamy) moncler outlet jackets

cheap moncler coats The Nordic nation design and fashion spheres, led by iconic global brands Ikea and H are large employers of expats. Plenty more score jobs in the city strong science, engineering and IT sectors. cheap moncler coats

But relocating to the largest metropolis in the Nordics isn without obstacles that go beyond the dark, cold, winter days and high taxes that Sweden is famous for. But other foreigners arriving in the city moncler outlet are left to battle with a unique property market and an acute shortage of apartments.

More than a third of Swedes live in rented housing, half of which is owned by local councils or state rental companies and subject to rent caps. If you lucky enough to get a first hand contract for this kind of accommodation, it is yours for life. Expats are welcome to join the queue, but in Stockholm they will find around half a million locals in front of them and an average wait of nine years.

View image of Stockholm has an acute shortage of apartments. (Credit: Domingo Leiva/Getty Images)

moncler outlet store The result is a highly competitive subletting market, as Swedes lease out their rental apartments after moving in with partners or buying their own. moncler outlet store

According moncler mens jackets to Statistics Sweden, October figures showed the average cost of renting a two bedroom apartment in Stockholm was 6,518 Swedish kronor ($783) per month. However, second hand contracts frequently change hands for much more, despite regulations designed to ensure tenants don pay more than 15% extra than those they are renting from.

moncler sale a place to live is the single biggest challenge when moving to Stockholm but there is a lot going on to try and solve the problem, said Julika monlcer down jackets Lamberth from Stockholm Business Region, a state funded company working to increase investment in the city, including accommodation aimed moncler sale outlet at foreign professionals. be afraid to ask your employer if moncler outlet store they can help and be sure to put the word out that you are looking to rent on networking sites like Facebook. reason living in the city centre is so popular is that its compact size guarantees short commutes for many residents. For 790 kronor ($95) a month, you can buy a travel pass valid for all zones on the city subway, trains and buses. Or you can do as many locals do, and travel the Scandinavian capital by bike. moncler sale

moncler factory outlet feel so much luckier than friends in London or Beijing who face a three hour round trip each day, said 28 year old Irina Jingqi Liu, who lives in the northern suburb of Sundbyberg and commutes by subway just 15 minutes to get to the heart of the city. moncler factory outlet

cheap moncler jackets save a lot of time cheap moncler jackets on travelling in Stockholm. That gives me more energy to participate in other activities, she explains. cheap moncler jackets

View image of Many commuters travel to work by bike. (Credit: Tobias Ackeborn/Getty Images)Swedes are the best in the world at speaking English as a second language, according to the global EF English Proficiency Index and most large international firms, as well as plenty of tech companies and startups recruiting talent from abroad, use English as their working language.

moncler outlet online Still, for those who make the move without a position moncler outlet sale lined up, knowledge of Swedish can be a major advantage in a highly educated and competitive job market. Less than 8% of the Swedish population is unemployed, but this jumps to 17% among foreign born residents according to Statistics Sweden. moncler outlet online

The Swedish government offers free language classes for immigrants, called SFI.

cheap moncler can feel bizarre cheap moncler that so many moncler sale jobs ask for Swedish when almost everyone speaks perfect English, said Briton Webb, who relocated to Stockholm from Paris with his former Brazilian Swedish partner and their daughter in 2014, and now runs Gymgo, a fitness startup, with a fellow British colleague. The duo used ALMI, a government funded body that provides free advice to foreign entrepreneurs, to help them navigate their way through the paperwork. cheap moncler

really quick to set up a business here but without ALMI it would have been more of a struggle. They helped us a lot with all the administration and translation. a visa

moncler jacket sale EU and Norwegian citizens are entitled to work in Sweden or move there in order to look for a job without obtaining a visa. moncler jacket sale

However, those from most other countries generally need to apply to the Swedish Migration Board (Migrationsverket) for a work permit, demonstrating that they already have an official job offer from a Swedish employer.

moncler Moncler Outlet sale outlet There are a few exceptions. Working holiday visas for up to one year are granted to 18 to 30 olds from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea. Those relocating to Sweden in order to live with a Swedish partner (or a foreigner who already has a work permit) can apply for a residence permit before securing a job moncler sale outlet.