Leading bourgeois debaters argue that low wages are necessary to integrate newcomers. Naomi Abramowicz writes in Göteborgs-Posten , January 7, 2016:
"The idea of having a labor market with large income differences rhymes badly with the Swedish idea of equality. But it is a necessity if more people are to have a chance to enter the labor market.”
The reasoning is based on a logical fallacy. The idea is that reduced wage costs should increase the employers' incentive to hire. However, Sweden is already today a knowledge nation that primarily competes with knowledge, not with low wages. Low wages lead to reduced purchasing power, which creates a negative development in the economy as a whole. The demand for the companies' goods and services decreases, which leads to even worse employment opportunities. In addition, it creates social tensions.
Abramowicz believes that Sweden can draw inspiration from Germany. There are so-called mini-jobs. Jobs that pay around 4,000 kronor per month. In order to achieve a reasonable standard of living, employees are required to supplement their income with social security benefits. There are many objections to this. The Guardian writes that economic research shows that the German mini-jobs have not contributed to the German economic miracle . To use a moderate election slogan: “It should pay to work.”