Åmål is situated on Lake Vänern in the province of Dalsland. The town charter was granted by Queen Kristina in 1643. Throughout history Åmål has been marked by drama, excitement, progress and optimism. It all started more than 350 years ago when people met at the mouth of the river to trade goods. 

Today Åmål is a modern commercial town with a well developed business community and a substantial exchange of goods and services with Europe and the rest of the world.

Traditional manufacturing companies that are strongly tied to the automotive industry form the business base in Åmål,

There are several advantages for setting up a company in Åmål. Firstly, a loyal workforce is available. Secondly, the salary level is considered relatively low. Thirdly, staff turnover is low which reduces costs for recruiting and training. Finally, sick leave is also low which contributes to continuity in the workforce.

In addition, Åmål can offer premises at a low cost and a geographical location that has logistical advantages.

Åmål is a family-friendly municipality. The residents believe that the size of the town and the close proximity of shops and services make the day-to-day living pleasant.

Åmål has a relatively high level of education and an upper-secondary school with many programs of study.

The residents of Åmål are positive about their town. They also feel safe living in Åmål. About nine of ten respondents would recommend moving to Åmål. The same number has no plans to move from Åmål in the coming year. The residents have a relatively positive view of the future and most believe that the population will increase in the coming ten years.

The most common reasons given for moving to Åmål during the past ten years have been, close proximity to the outdoors, good housing and family reasons. 

The population of Åmål has decreased in the 1990s, but not as much as in the surrounding areas.

The table shows the age distribution of the population in Åmål at the end of December 2004. The left table shows men and the table on the right shows women.  

Land Development

Most of the residents of Åmål own their homes. Most of the rental properties are located in the town centre. The municipal real estate company is the largest landlord followed by a number of private companies. There are also a number of owner-flats and terraced houses with cooperative ownership. There is a housing shortage in Åmål caused by new residents moving in, and house prices are relatively high compared to some of the neighbouring municipalities.

The municipality is planning construction of new housing in the near future. The biggest project is the construction of lakeside/ ecological housing in the Höganäs area. Housing close to Lake Vänern is available in most of the neighbourhoods.  

There are available industrial premises and land for building. Most of the industrial properties are rented out by ÅKAB, the municipal real estate company. The industrial rental prices are low and there are also different ways to obtain financial backing for those interested in establishing a business in Åmål.

Trade and Industry

Most of the jobs in Åmål are in the manufacturing industry and the public sector. There is no dominating branch in the industrial sector, but engineering industry is represented more than other branches. The potential for development exists in the transport business and the service sector.

A new reloading terminal has been completed in 2004 in the old railroad area. The second stage of the project will be to make a storage area and to increase the capacity for reloading. A continuous increase in container traffic has paved the way for a positive development of this area.  

Employment Statistics:

Åmåls Municipality     

 Labour Market

The table shows the percentage of the population that was employed in 2003.

Column 1 men, column 2 women, column 3 total.

The table shows employment by industry in 2003.

The blue column shows men, the green column women. The first table shows Åmål and the second table Sweden. 

The table shows the proportion of job seekers in 2004.

M= men

W=women

Tot=Total

Row 1 ages between 20- 64

Row 2 open unemployment

Row 3 unemployed in programme/training

Row 4 unemployed ages 20- 24

Row 5 total unemployed ages 20- 64

Comparisons are found in the table with Sweden and the county

The table shows the number of commuters to-and-from Åmål.

ÅMÅL: Audit of Town Development Strategy

(a)       Is there a strategy?

The Municipality of Åmål has a strategic plan. See the attached document.

(b)       Key Objectives and Targets

The key objectives of the Åmål Strategy are currently:

To cope with the weak growth in new job opportunities despite the favourable business development in the municipality.

Key targets are:

Infrastructure for increasing accessibility:

§         Improve Route 45 (E 45) between Åmål and Gothenburg so that it meets the demands that the companies in the region have on infrastructure.

§         Move heavy cargo traffic from roads to railroads and sea.

§         Develop IT-infrastructure. The broadband network is being built out. The next challenge is to use the net for services for the population and business and industry.

Attractive housing:

§         Is being built near the water. There is a lack of centrally located housing where elderly and young adults can live.

Education:

§         Cooperation between universities and upper-secondary schools in Åmål needs to be improved. More university opportunities in the municipality would attract more companies and people to Åmål.

Develop tourism:

§         The beautiful environment and close proximity to nature are building blocks for developing tourism around Lake Vänern. Development of the river in town, the areas around the harbour and the walking paths along the lake is also a priority. Improving the festivals that Åmål has become famous for in the past few years is also a goal.  

§         Development of Åmål as a commercial centre that can compete with the large shopping centres nearby requires increased knowledge of marketing, customer service and increased cooperation of local businesses.

Inter-municipal cooperation:

§         A closer cooperation between Åmål and Säffle Municipalities can be developed in many areas. One example of this is making investments that complement each other and give higher returns instead of each municipality acting alone.

E-service and E-administration.

§         The younger generation has grown up in an information society and will make different demands on availability and service from the public sector. Changes must be made to meet the demands for better service, increased availability, openness and access. A comprehensive term for this is E-service and E-administration.

"Citizen Office"/Contact centre.

§         The transition to more electronic service in the municipality will take place successively, taking into consideration local conditions and possibilities. For many citizens and companies today, personal contact is important. As an example of this, seven of ten contacts take place via telephone. Even in the future, there will always be demands made for personal service. An important way to maintain this contact is to have an effective "citizen office", or contact centre.

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