yrkesfolk

Yrkesfolk is a Swedish term that can be translated as "the people of the trades" or "professionals." It refers to individuals who practice a particular occupation or craft, particularly skilled workers within a trade or guild-based community. The term is often used in historical or sociological contexts to denote a collective of craftsmen who shared training, standards, and social ties within a locality or sector.

Etymology: yrke means occupation or trade, and folk means people. Together they form a compound that emphasizes belonging to a specific craft or profession.

Usage: In modern Swedish, yrkesfolk is not a common everyday label, but appears in essays, histories, and discussions about skilled labor. It can denote the occupied population of a given trade or the broader class of workers who earn their living through skilled labor. The term is closely related to hantverkare (craftspeople) and to the concept of yrkesföreningar (professional associations) or fackföreningar (unions) that organize such workers. It should not be confused with the general term arbetare (worker) or arbetstagare (employee), which have broader meanings.

See also: guilds, crafts, trades, vocational education, and professional associations.