SLU among the forest sector’s most attractive employers

Naturvetarna, a Swedish trade union for professionals in the natural sciences, asked its members working in the forest sector to assess which factors matter most in an employer and how well their current employer fulfils these expectations. The survey shows that permanent employment, flexible working hours, a high degree of individual responsibility, opportunities for professional development and a manageable workload are the factors members prioritise.

“Being ranked this highly is an important acknowledgement of the work we do to provide an inclusive working environment and good opportunities to grow professionally. We want SLU to be a workplace where expertise in forests and sustainable development is recognised and can continue to develop,” says Göran Ericsson, Dean of SLU’s Faculty of Forest Sciences.

Top-ranked employers

The highest-ranked organisations in Naturvetarna’s forest sector survey include universities, research institutes and public agencies. Umeå University is ranked first and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden second, followed by SLU. AFRY and the Swedish Forest Agency are ranked fourth and fifth.

More than 4,000 Naturvetarna members took part in this year’s survey. Since 2022, Naturvetarna has carried out annual member surveys on employer preferences across several sectors where natural science professionals work.

Top five: most attractive employers in the forest sector 2025 (Naturvetarna)

1. Umeå University
2. RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
3. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
4. AFRY
5. Swedish Forest Agency  

About the survey 

Naturvetarna’s annual member survey examines which employers best match natural science professionals’ expectations in different sectors. In the forest sector, the survey focuses on employment conditions and working environment, as well as opportunities for responsibility and professional development.