[Jochim]

> Sweden might rank top for happiness and health but that's not going to make my bank numbers get higher for my annual two week holiday.

The US seems to expect service workers to pretend to be happy in the hopes of receiving enough money to get by. Whereas the Nordics seem to take the approach of "let's make sure your service worker is happy" first and foremost.

The Nordic model seems more stable and less stressful for all parties involved.

[eddtries]

I've lived and worked in the UK, the Bay Area, and Stockholm. Sweden does not pay as well but the employee/union perks & lifestyle is night and day compared to the other two. I definitely miss Bay Area salaries but I'm getting more holiday, I get paid extra for going on holiday, I get a years paternity leave & IVF bonuses, I get free healthcare (and most employers offer free private healthcare), I get a company car for very cheap, rent/properties are cheap and actually pretty large, the cities are built around nature, poverty is low, crime is low, people are happy...

I prefer the Nordic model so far!

Edit: I forgot the best one - unemployment insurance. If I get laid off I get my salary covered at 80% for 6 - 12 months (depends on the policy). This is through the union. Such a nice relief with all the layoffs happening in tech nowadays.

[mxsjoberg]

Yet everything you use is made elsewhere.

Nordic model is such a great success.

[Jochim]

Unlike the wildly successful US model, where everything is made elsewhere and the majority of the population is one major illness away from bankruptcy. Sorry junior, no tertiary education for you.