A majority (58%) of the world’s business leaders believe in increased global growth in 2025 and Swedish CEOs are even more optimistic about the future. A full 65% believe in increased global growth compared to only 31% last year. This is shown by PwC’s annual CEO survey.

The CEO Survey is a global CEO survey that PwC has published for 28 consecutive years, 4,701 business leaders from 109 countries were interviewed about their views on the current situation and the future. Of these, 102 are Swedish business leaders. The survey was conducted in October and November 2024.

The survey also shows that companies must change in order to survive. 42 percent of companies will be competitive for a maximum of ten years with the current focus of their operations.

– Despite the turbulent times we live in, many business leaders are optimistic about the future. In fact, the outlook for growth has only been more positive on two previous occasions in the past ten years. These were the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022. If they are right, the coming years will bring great opportunities for companies to invest in technology, including AI, sustainability and business model transformation, says Sofia Götmar-Blomstedt, CEO of PwC Sweden.

Business leaders have high expectations for what AI can contribute in the future. Generative AI (GenAI) and other new technologies will transform business models, redefine work processes and fundamentally change entire industries. Nearly 60 percent of global CEOs say that employees’ time can be used more effectively with the help of GenAI, and more than 50 percent say that they have been able to use their own time more effectively. According to the survey, a third of CEOs believe that AI has contributed to increasing their company’s revenue and profitability in the past year. Unfortunately, the responses from Swedish business leaders are at a significantly lower level, 15 and 17 percent respectively.

– Sweden continues to lag behind in AI development, which is deeply worrying. We are still missing out on the major benefits that AI can offer. To accelerate AI implementation, we must immediately increase trust in the technology, both among the public and business leaders, says Sofia Götmar-Blomstedt.

27 percent of Swedish respondents plan to increase the number of employees in the coming year, and globally, a full 42 percent plan to hire more. Although we are still in the early stages of AI development, we can see that the survey does not signal staff reductions as a result of AI implementation. On the contrary, it is more common to hire than to reduce the number of employees as a result of AI. This trend applies both globally and in Sweden.

Source: CEO Survey 2025 – PwC’s annual CEO survey | PwC

Jimmy Arvidsson has an exciting and varied background with roots in the performing arts where he has worked as a technician and lighting designer at theaters, concerts, exhibitions and events. He himself says that it is in the meeting between people and technology that he enjoys the most and his interest in people has followed him all the way into the role of consultant. Likewise, the experience is still at the center even if the arena is different.

After many years as an employee and self-employed, with a focus on IT development projects, Jimmy chose to become a consultant in 2021. One of the biggest advantages of the consultant role is that he gets the opportunity to move between different assignments and businesses, meet many new people and build a large network. As a consultant, he can focus his commitment and energy on what he does best, understanding the customer’s needs and conditions, building the ability in the organization and then when the organization is mature, hand over the baton for the project when it transitions into a management phase. The opportunity to learn from all the people he meets, gain new perspectives and share experiences gives him a lot of energy and often shows that there are multiple ways to solve challenges. At the same time, Jimmy says that it can be difficult to leave a well-functioning team and part with what you have been a part of building. Jimmy’s focus as a project manager is to ensure that everyone has the right conditions to continue. If one of us gets hit by a bus tomorrow, the work still has to work, he explains.

Jimmy is a specialist in project management and related areas, where his strength is navigating correctly in complex environments.

-The goal is known but often not the way to get there.

He describes himself as genuinely interested in people and that interest together with his good communication skills and creativity has helped him to quickly adapt to new environments and people as no two assignments are the same. It is in his role as project manager that Jimmy first came into contact with Upgraded and over the years the relationship has been strengthened with the many call-offs made through Upgraded. Jimmy describes the collaboration as fast, efficient and very pleasant. The collaboration has been characterised by straightforward communication without hassle and it has been easy to get advice on “best practice” which I appreciate, Jimmy continues.

Jimmy’s driving force is clear; he wants to make a real difference and improve and simplify for people. He thrives best when he has the trust and space to lead the work and solve the task together with an existing or new team. Understanding, planning and supporting are key words in his work.

Jimmy’s two most recent assignments have been incredibly developmental, where he, together with his team and other key people, laid the foundation for self-development in the public sector and created a bridge between agile methods and traditional waterfall methodology. Communicating and putting energy into well-functioning collaborations have been two success factors. It is in such environments that I develop the most, says Jimmy.

-The assignments have really challenged me in both my leadership and my perseverance.

Jimmy believes that the key to successful customer relationships is to understand the customer’s real needs, not just what was initially requested. He emphasizes the importance of daring to challenge the customer in cases where the assignment does not match his own picture of the actual need in order to investigate what scope there is to change that picture. The driving force is to create solutions that really make a difference and to always have the customer’s best interests in mind.

Jimmy is positive about the future and believes that organizations’, as well as his own, ability to adapt will be crucial to whether we continue to remain relevant. AI is really interesting and necessary to embrace on several levels, he interjects.

Jimmy is looking forward to continuing to develop his leadership skills, working more with portfolio management and continuing to develop his communication skills. He would also like to spend more time mentoring to help others develop. His advice to those considering becoming consultants is clear;

– Find out what are the important values ​​for you to thrive. Think about what your offering is, your skills and qualities and what is your core. Ask yourself why you want to become a consultant and above all: Try!

What motivates Jimmy the most is making things better for people and contributing to meaningful improvements. Being able to help turn something difficult and complex into something functional and easy to understand is satisfying. Being able to then disconnect from work when the workday is over and still feel like he has made a real difference is fantastic. The consulting role has really helped me find the right balance, concludes Jimmy.

Despite the recession, layoffs and reduced investments, Sweden’s tech sector is showing signs of both resilience and renewal. While some sub-industries are shrinking, demand for cutting-edge expertise is increasing – and the number of new tech companies is growing rapidly.

The economic situation remains challenging for the technology sector in Sweden. The combination of a prolonged recession and a tense geopolitical climate continues to slow growth. However, the impact varies depending on the segment.

In 2024, turnover, adjusted for inflation, increased by 7 percent in the software and services area. Telecom and infrastructure also showed growth, with an increase of 7.2 percent. At the same time, things were worse for retail and service, where revenues fell by a full 6.3 percent. In hardware manufacturing, a smaller decline of 0.7 percent was noted.

Fewer employees – but more job ads

Employment in the tech sector decreased by an average of 6,250 people during January and February 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. This corresponds to a decline of approximately 2 percent, according to the industry indicator Tech Temperature.

The number of layoffs has also increased significantly. Between March 2024 and February 2025, nearly 5,900 people in the tech industry were given notice of layoffs – a 31 percent increase compared to the previous year. The telecom sector accounted for almost half of these layoffs, despite only accounting for just over a fifth of the industry’s total revenue.

Paradoxically, the number of job openings increased in the fourth quarter of 2024, after falling for four straight quarters. In December, there were 11,600 vacancies in tech. The increase in job postings, while employment is declining, points to a shift in skills. Companies are increasingly looking for specialists in areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud services and cybersecurity – while other functions, such as customer support, are being streamlined.

Risk appetite among investors is cooling

The difficult economic climate has also affected investment willingness. By January 2025, corporate lending had declined for twelve consecutive months, with a decline of 0.5 percent at an annual rate.

At the same time, venture capital investments continued to decline. According to preliminary figures from Dealroom, investments in Swedish tech startups landed at 2.4 billion euros in 2024 – a decrease of 48 percent from the previous year.

Technology stocks have also had a shaky start to 2025. Trade conflicts and political tensions, especially between Europe and the US, have increased anxiety on global stock markets. Swedish tech companies have so far fared better than their American counterparts, but investors’ risk appetite has become noticeably lower even here at home.

Strong new entrepreneurship despite the challenges

One bright spot in the otherwise gloomy situation is that new entrepreneurship in the tech sector has picked up. In 2024, 6,072 new tech companies were started in Sweden – an increase of 11 percent compared to the previous year. This is stronger growth than the average for all industries, where the increase was 9 percent.

The fact that so many new companies are being started despite economic uncertainty indicates that faith in the future in the tech sector is still alive – and that many entrepreneurs see new opportunities, not least as the demand for high-tech solutions increases.

Source: National Institute of Economic Research.

Upgraded People continues its growth journey and reports a strong first quarter of 2025 with sales of SEK 470 million – an increase of 15 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2024.

Growth is driven by increased demand for the company’s services in skills provision and strategic staffing, combined with a strengthened position in several of the markets in which the company operates.

Upgraded People is one of Northern Europe’s fastest growing companies in skills supply and strategic staffing, such as resource needs in the service sector, with a majority in industry segments such as Banking and Insurance, Defense, Infrastructure, Energy and Manufacturing. We create value by matching the right skills with the right context – always with people at the center. Through strong business focus, innovative solutions and close partnerships, we help organizations grow sustainably in a rapidly changing world.

• We continue to be driven by our belief that success is achieved by building long-term, value-creating partnerships. By combining action with innovative and groundbreaking ideas, we create solutions that make a real difference – for individuals, organizations and society as a whole.

Our work is not just about providing consultants, but about laying the foundation for growth, innovation and IT solutions where sustainable digital development is promoted. We are also noticing continued growth in organizational and management services, which indicates that many companies, after years of tight budgets and cost savings, now see a growing need to develop their organizations in order to meet competition in an increasingly competitive market. We see a continued positive trend for 2025 where we are gaining market share and gaining increasing trust from the market. This is a testament to our strong offering and our team’s ability to deliver value to both customers and candidates. During the past quarter, we have also continued to refine processes and broaden our offering, which creates good conditions for continued growth during the year. We currently do not see any negative impact on our business from the geopolitical unrest and the tariff threats from the US; on the contrary, we are noticing increased interest from Germany, Norway and Denmark. Our goal of generating sales of over 2 billion for the full year 2025 remains unchanged, says Birgitta Hedegård, CEO of Upgraded People.

About Upgraded

Upgraded offers the market tailor-made solutions to meet its clients’ unique needs and wishes in skills supply and strategic staffing. Upgraded’s clients are found in both the public and private sectors with resource deliveries in Sweden, Germany, Norway and Denmark with over 1100 consultants on assignment. We provide the right resource at the right time to enable our clients’ goals and visions for the benefit of the individual, organizations and society.

For more information:

VD, Birgitta Hedegård

birgitta.hedegard@upgraded.se

As AI continues to reshape how we recruit and staff in 2025, those who adapt by learning new skills, honing their expertise, and keeping an open mind to new opportunities will succeed the most, whether you’re working as a consultant or applying for a line position.

According to the survey conducted by LinkedIn, “Jobs on the Rise 2025”, regarding the 15 hottest professional roles, IT-related services occupy 7 of the top 15 places on the list, which is quite naturally linked to the rapid digitalization and automation of companies. Other trends that can be read from the list are:

• Many of the roles offer hybrid work – an attractive feature for both employers and employees in a post-pandemic world.

• In times of economic uncertainty, companies seek expertise to ensure stability, risk minimization and optimization of resources.
• That support for leadership, change management and cross-functional coordination becomes more important as organizations become more complex and need support roles that make everything work effectively – both technically and organizationally.
• There is a clear skills gap and need for updating, which is made clear in that roles with shorter experience levels (e.g. AI Engineer, Cybersecurity Engineer and Automation Technician) are sought to fill acute skills gaps.

Top 15 fastest growing professional roles in Sweden

1. Treasury Manager (CFO)

• Role: Manages the company’s liquidity, financial risks and capital structure.
• Skills: Treasury management, cash flow management.
• Experience: 8,3 year | Gender: 32% women | Distance: 50% hybrid

2. Platform Engineer

• Role: Bygger tekniska plattformar för utvecklingsteam.
• Skills: Terraform, Kubernetes, DevOps.
• Experience: 6,1 year | Gender: 15% women | Distance: 67% hybrid

3. Data center technician

• Role: Troubleshoots, configures, and upgrades data center infrastructure.
• Skills: Data center operations, cable management.
• Experience: 3.3 years | Gender: 13% female | Remote: 7% hybrid

4. Planning engineer

• Role: Creates detailed project plans in construction and engineering.
• Skills: Oracle Primavera, project planning.
• Experience: 4.3 years | Gender: 30% female | Distance: 45% hybrid

5. AI engineer

• Role: Design and train AI systems and algorithms.
• Skills: AI, deep learning, LLM.
• Experience: 3.7 years | Gender: 18% female | Distance: 42% hybrid

6. Information Security Officer

• Role: Oversees information security and risk management.
• Skills: Cybersecurity, security governance.
• Experience: Not specified | Gender: 37% female | Distance: 53% hybrid

7. Property consultant

• Role: Commercial Real Estate Investment Advisory.
• Skills: Real Estate Development, Management.
• Experience: 4.7 years | Gender: 38% female | Distance: 100% hybrid

8. Head of IT Services

• Role: Lead IT Service Delivery and Business IT Integration.
• Skills: ITIL, IT Management.
• Experience: 8.8 years | Gender: 35% female | Distance: 71% hybrid

9. Chief of Staff

• Role: Supports management and drives organizational initiatives.
• Skills: Change management, public sector.
• Experience: 6.1 years | Gender: 58% female | Distance: 70% hybrid

10. Automation techniques

• Role: Maintains and troubleshoots automated systems and robotics.
• Skills: PLC programming, automation.
• Experience: 3.6 years | Gender: 8% female | Distance: Not specified

11. Contract manager

• Role: Responsible for contract negotiation and administration.
• Skills: Contract management, change management.
• Experience: 6.9 years | Gender: 45% female | Distance: 20% hybrid

12. Strategic Purchasing Manager

• Role: Lead Purchasing Strategy and Supplier Management.
• Skills: Global Sourcing, Procurement.
• Experience: 7.8 years | Gender: 37% female | Distance: 43% hybrid

13. Wealth manager

• Role: Investment, inheritance and tax advice.
• Skills: Private banking, advisory.
• Experience: 7.2 years | Gender: 27% women | Distance: Not specified

14. Executive Assistant

• Role: Administrative support for business leaders.
• Skills: Executive assistance, travel planning.
• Experience: 7,3 year | Gender: 92% women | Distance: 21% hybrid

15. Cyber ​​Security Engineer

• Role: Protects digital infrastructure from cyber threats.
• Skills: Vulnerability management, network security.
• Experience: 4,4 year | Gender: 23% women | Distance: 21% hybrid

Source: LinkedIn Jobs on the Rise

Physical activity is a well-known key to increased well-being. We reduce the risk of getting sick, suffering from dementia and dying prematurely, but physical activity also reduces anxiety and stress, contributes to improved learning, concentration and sleep. If we move more, we simply feel better.

Castellum’s report The Work of the Future has shown that the office is important for employee well-being and that workplaces that encourage physical activity have happier employees. But how can companies do this in a simple way in everyday life? Here are 5 tips for a well-being workplace.

Preventive health work

A good start is to conduct a current situation analysis to get a complete picture of both the company’s work environment and the employees’ health and lifestyle. Let this information be the starting point for finding out which wellness and well-being initiatives should be prioritized.

Give managers the right conditions to feel good themselves

Managers need tools to take care of themselves before they can support their employees. A manager who feels good creates better conditions for a health-promoting culture.

Promote social support and community in the workplace

Create activities that build community, preferably ones that promote physical activity. If employees are spread across the country, digital health challenges may be the solution.

Integrate movement into the workday

To get more movement into the workday, we need to focus on existing routines. Let walk and talk meetings, movement breaks during longer meetings, and the opportunity to work outdoors become the norm in your workplace.

Long-term health initiatives

Create activities where everyone can participate regardless of physical fitness and make participation easy. Stick to health initiatives over time and make these a recurring item on the agenda.