Balancing between the needs of individual interests and skills with labour market needs can be seen as one of the foundational skills of the career guidance profession (Parsons,1909). In previous decades, individualization of life biographies and more complex routes to the labour market can be seen as having led to a prioritization of individual needs over labour shortages (Lovén, 2015). Moreover, career guidance students about to enter the profession highlight the importance of providing individual support that is primarily motivational and confirming individual preferences (Rehn, 2024). In Sweden, the growth of marketization of upper secondary education has further enhanced the trend towards providing youth with attractive and interesting educational choice (Dovermark, et al 2018). Meanwhile, Nordic welfare states are facing significant labour shortages in areas such as health care, IT and manufacturing (OECD, 2023).  As a response to this dilemma, new regulations have recently been adopted in the Swedish Education Act, stipulating that labour market needs must be considered in the planning and structuring of upper secondary education (SFS 2010:800). The legislative proposal came into effect on January 1, 2025, requiring municipalities and regions to take greater account of regional labour needs when planning the offerings of various upper secondary education programs. Consequently, some upper secondary programs will have fewer available places, while programs targeting shortage occupations are expected to expand (Skolverket, 2025). In this study, I will explore the potential impact of this new legislation of career guidance counsellors’ work with clients. By using “vignettes”, i.e. case study descriptions, interviews with career guidance counsellors working in secondary schools are conducted (Sampson & Johanesson, 2019). Through the vignettes the study explores questions regarding professional dilemmas that encompass the balance between societal and regional labour market needs with individuals’ hopes and aspirations. By using a theoretical framework of professional identity (Bimrose & Brown, 2019), different potential ethical dilemmas involved in these career guidance counsellors’ potential shift towards being assumed to take on a stronger labour market focus will be analysed.