More immigrants working

The number of immigrants registered as employees increased by 8,615 from fourth quarter 1996 to fourth quarter 1997. The percentage of immigrants who are employees (employment rate) increased from 45.5 to 48.2 per cent. The largest increase took place among immigrant youth and immigrants from Eastern Europe.

The employment rate among first-generation immigrants rose by 2.7 percentage points from fourth quarter 1996 to fourth quarter 1997. The corresponding increase for the population in general was 1.3 percentage points. The employment rate for immigrants has now reached 48.2 per cent, while the corresponding figure for the entire population is 59.6. Self-employed persons are not included in the statistics at this time.

Increase for all immigrant groups

The employment rate has increased for all immigrant groups. The largest increase has been among immigrants from Eastern Europe, with 5.5 percentage points. This group of immigrants nevertheless has one of the lowest employment rates in November 1997. Only immigrants from Africa have a lower employment rate than Eastern Europeans. Immigrants from Western Europe had the smallest increase, although they had the highest employment rate to begin with.

First-generation immigrants from Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Gambia had the largest increase in the employment rate from 1996 to 1997, with 10.9 and 9.1 per cent respectively. The lowest employment rate among immigrants in 1997 was among Somalis and Iraqis, with around 21. However, it is not always true that immigrants from the Third World and Eastern Europe have low employment rates while all immigrants from Western countries have high employment rates. Immigrants from Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines have higher employment rates than immigrants in general, while immigrants from Japan, the U.S., Canada and Belgium have employment rates under the average for immigrants.

New Statistics

Employee statistics for immigrants, 4th quarter 1997.
Statistics are published annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Labour Market Statistics. Detailed figures are given in basic tables for immigrant and foreign citizens. Unemployment and job creation programme statistics for immigrants are also published four times per year. For more information, contact: jorn.ivar.hamre@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 49 29, or jan.erik.sivertsen@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 47 82.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 20, 1998