Page content
That public services are being exposed to competition often means that private firms get the chance of supplying services that have previously only been offered by the public sector. Competition can also be introduced within the public sector.
In labour market policy, tests with private employment officers were introduced in 2007. In the educational area, the free choice of schools has lead to competition between independent schools and municipal schools and between different municipal schools. Within the social services, private agents have been allowed to give offers for different kinds of rehabilitation and activation efforts.
The effects of competition
An important question for research is how competition affects costs and quality. Theoretical models show that an increase in competition can lead to a larger supply that reduces the price and leads to there being no demand for low-quality services, but it is not certain that this is the case. The effects depend both on the circumstances before competition and how competition is implemented. Competition can also have indirect effects. For example, the wages in an entire sector can be affected even if only parts of the sector are exposed to competition. Empirical studies in the area are often based on reforms that have been implemented as a test, have been gradually implemented or have affected certain regions more than others. The results from such analyses do not point in any obvious direction.
New reports
Search all reports.
All reports-
Rusta och matcha - Vad händer hos privata leverantörer av arbetsmarknadsinsatser?
Martin Lundin Martin Söderström Kristina Sibbmark
-
Perspektiv på konsumtionsbeskattning
Spencer Bastani
-
Konkurrens om specialiserad arbetskraft
Anna Thoresson
-
Svenska friskolors etableringsbeslut
Karin Edmark
-
Marknadsmekanismer i teori och praktik – erfarenheter från etableringslotsarna
Kristina Sibbmark Martin Söderström Olof Åslund
-
När skolan själv får välja –om friskolornas etableringsmönster
Nikolay Angelov Karin Edmark
New working papers
Search through all working papers.
All working papers-
Employer concentration and wages for specialized workers
Anna Thoresson
-
Location choices of Swedish independent schools
Karin Edmark
-
The impact of upper-secondary voucher school attendance on student achievement – Swedish evidence using external and internal evaluations
Björn Tyrefors Hinnerich Jonas Vlachos
-
Sweden’s school choice reform and equality of opportunity
Karin Edmark Markus Frölich Verena Wondratschek
-
The short- and long-term effects of school choice on student outcomes – evidence from a school choice reform in Sweden
Verena Wondratschek Karin Edmark Markus Frölich
-
Independent schools and long-run educational outcomes – evidence from Sweden´s large scale voucher reform
Anders Böhlmark Mikael Lindahl