Militär avveckling : Problem eller möjlighet?

Military base closures are often expected to lead to various negative consequences for cities and individuals who are affected. The aim of this essay is to study the effects of military closures at a municipal and individual level, in eleven Swedish municipalities. To carry out the investigation, empirical data has been gained through a database, which contains extensive socio-economic and geographical information about the individuals contained. The results of this study show that the effects at the municipal level do not seem to be as catastrophic as expected whether one looks at population trends, employment or the local economy. The result also shows that the effects of military closures in most cases seem to be less pronounced in municipalities located in regions/counties with good development, and vice versa. Furthermore, urban size (number of inhabitants) seems to be of importance, where small towns are more affected than larger ones. The analysis at the individual level has been carried out by logistic regression analysis in which individuals with military background affected by the closures, are compared with a group of individuals on the same local labor market, who has not been affected by the closures. The study shows that individuals with military background performed better than the comparison group. The result applies whether one looks at different types of effects related to the labour market or effects related to health. Several things can alleviate the negative effects. One thing could be that the closure process stimulates local partnership, and those areas that were previously only available to military activities, often centrally located, open up and can be used for other activities. In the long run, it may imply new jobs and shifting from an economy that was in part dependent on government subsidies, to a more diversified local economy.Forskarskolan i Geograf