This paper investigates the relationship between vacant job positions and unemployed workers, illustrated by the Beveridge curve, a tool for observing the matching process and the condition of a labour market. The Swedish case is studied together with its three largest labour market regions, i.e., Stockholm-, Västra Götaland- and Skåne county. A comparison opens up a discussion of whether local labour markets with similar characteristics located in different parts of the country behave similarly or in what way they distinguish. Furthermore, these three regions are expected to influence the Swedish Beveridge curve to a larger extent, which is also examined in the paper. In addition, the effect of an exogenous shock, such as the building of the Öresund Bridge, expanding the labour market of Skåne county by connection to another metropolitan area, Copenhagen, is studied. This is done by comparing the matching efficiency before and after the bridge is opened. Moreover, the effect in Skåne is then analysed in accordance with the same period for the other regions included, to get an indication of whether the bridge alone provides a change in matching efficiency or if changes are connected to national events that influence all regions similarly.  The analysis is based on monthly data from year 1996-2020, collected from the Swedish Public Employment service and Statistics Sweden, primarily. Graphical illustrations of the Beveridge curve in combination with OLS regressions provide concluding results that the Beveridge curves for the three regional labour markets observed are shaped rather similarly and experience shifts and movements during the same time points, generally. Skåne county is the exception and experience more horizontal and vertical movements compared to Stockholm- and Västra Götaland county and the Swedish average. Furthermore, there are statistically significant estimates ensuring the negative relationship between unemployment- and vacancy rate, i.e., a downward sloping Beveridge curve for all regions. Not enough evidence on the effect of the Öresund Bridge on the matching efficiency of Skåne county is provided to present a valid conclusion regarding this topic.

Using a quasi-experimental approach, this study analyses the effects of a specific exogenous shock on ethnic discrimination in Sweden by treating the terror attacks of 2015 in Paris as a natural experiment. Our research is based on cross-sectional survey data published by the European Social Survey (ESS). Slightly deviating from the traditional analytical approach, we observe individuals’ perception of being discriminated against rather than factual discrimination, thus contributing by analysing a common topic from a different perspective. We find that immigrants generally have a higher probability of perceiving themselves as discriminated against compared to natives. Subsequently, the probability increases further for Middle Eastern immigrants, females and for those who have experienced unemployment for at least three months.  When implementing a Difference-in-Difference method we find that average differences in perceived discrimination between immigrants and natives, but also between males and females, had increased after the terror attacks in Paris. Contrary to our expectations, our results indicate that Middle Eastern immigrants did not feel more discriminated after the terror attacks. However, the perception of being discriminated against is indicated to have increased for men. Nonetheless, in absence of statistically significant treatment effects we cannot conclude a relationship between the changes in average differences and the exogenous shock, suggesting that that the changes might be attributed to other factors.

The gender wage gap in the labour market has long been a topic of study, highlighting the disadvantages faced by women in terms of earningscompared to men. This study aims to investigate if the Great Recession had additional impacts on women's earnings differentials. Using census data from 2006 to 2012 in the US, two different quantile regressions were conducted for various income quantiles. One regression excluded variables, while the other included socio-demographic characteristics. The results indicate clear wage differences for women before, during, and after the Great Recession.The first regression shows statistically significant negative correlations between logarithmic income and gender. The quantile regressions also reveal decrease in the gender wage gap during the recession, with education returns favouring women in 2008 and 2009 before returning to pre-recession levels. Additionally, the results suggest that married women and women with children tend to have lower earnings compared to their male counterparts.These findings provide evidence of a glass ceiling in the US labour market, which may have been exacerbated by the exogenous shock of the Great Recession.

The exogenous shock that Russia's invasion of Ukraine entailed brought great challenges and demands for change in companies worldwide. Governing under these conditions is not easy, nor is knowing what is actually right to do. There is research on turbulent environments and exogenous shocks, divestments, and legitimacy, but research on the interaction between these is limited. In this study, we examine how companies have responded to exogenous shocks, more specifically how Swedish MNCs have acted and communicated as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The study consists of 69 Swedish MNCs that were active in Russia pre-invasion and their communications and actions as a result of this event, with data drawn from press releases, company reports, state registers and the media. The results show that many of the examined companies have acted in a similar way and divested the Russian market, albeit with varying quickness and forcefulness, thus adopting an approach consistent with what may be considered to be a legitimate strategy, with a few exceptions where the companies' actions has not been as consistent. What this means is that despite the fact that these decisions are made by the respective company management, the measures are generally in line with each other, which may be a result of pressure from both internal and external stakeholders and society at large.