In the Nordic countries, as in the rest of the world, the living conditions of many LGBTI people are worse than those of the majority population. Trans people are a particularly vulnerable group who face various obstacles in life, not least working life. Prejudice and poor treatment affect recruitment processes, working environments and opportunities for career development. These conditions, characterised by significant barriers, can have serious consequences for trans people’s financial situation, quality of life and health. This publication summarises data on the working life conditions of trans people in the Nordic countries produced by the European Union Agency for Human Rights (FRA). In 2024, FRA published the third edition of the EU LGBTIQ Survey, one of the largest surveys on the conditions faced by LGBTIQ people. The abbreviation LGBTI is used in official Nordic cooperation, following a decision by the Nordic Ministers for Gender Equality and LGBTI, and hence this abbreviation is used here in general. LGBTIQ is the abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer. This abbreviation is used by FRA in the survey and in this publication when referring to the survey results.
Overall, the findings show that LGBTIQ people, and in particular trans and intersex people, continue to face hate-motivated violence, direct and indirect discrimination, and other forms of victimisation, despite legal protections. At the same time, the findings also show signs of progress on some indicators of openness and safety. For example, fewer LGBTQI people than before report avoiding certain places out of fear or avoiding holding hands with a partner in public (FRA, 2024).
The purpose of this publication is to specifically highlight the study’s findings on the conditions of trans people in relation to working life in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. These are the three Nordic countries included in the survey. Additional insights are also provided into national studies in the field from Iceland and Norway.
Previous reports by NIKK show the need to shed further light on how working life conditions are linked to other living conditions, and the possible consequences for health, housing, and other conditions for living a safe and decent life. It is also shown that it is important to highlight differences and variations within the trans group, as well as to show how specific gender identities affect trans people’s experiences in working life.
This publication therefore presents separate data for trans women, trans men and non-binary/gender diverse people as groups. Particular attention is also paid to examining in more detail the conditions of groups that are known from previous research to be particularly vulnerable, such as young trans people and trans people who belong to at least one other minority group, for example those with migrant backgrounds or disabilities.
This publication has been produced by Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK), a Nordic co-operation body under the Nordic Council of Ministers. NIKK collects, disseminates, and analyses knowledge about policy and practice, data and research in the field of gender equality and LGBTI rights with a Nordic and cross-sectoral perspective.