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Fewer young people employed
statistikk
2009-07-31T10:00:00.000Z
Labour market and earnings;Labour market and earnings;Immigration and immigrants
en
aku, Labour force survey, LFS, labour market, employees, unemployed, economically active, labour force, labour force status, employees by industry, underemployment, part-time work, hours of work, temporary staffUnemployment , Employment , Labour market and earnings, Labour market and earnings, Immigration and immigrants
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Labour force survey, Q2 2009

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Fewer young people employed

From the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009 there was a reduction of 10 000 people in employment in the age group 15 - 24. More people stayed in education.

Seasonally-adjusted figures: Stable labour market

Both employment and unemployment remained at the same level in the second quarter of 2009 as in the first quarter of 2009. The unemployment rate was 3.1 percent of the labour force in the second quarter of 2009.

Adjustments for seasonal variations allow for the analysis of current developments in the labour market, and serve as an alternative to comparisons with the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Seasonally-adjusted figures are presented in a separate article .

Since the working-age population for the age group 15-24 increased by 13 000, there was a reduction in the labour force participation rate (the labour force as a percentage of the working-age population) of 1.8 percentage points from the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009. In the same age group in the same period of time, an increasing number of people (+13 000) stated that school or studying was their main activity and that they did not have a part time job.

For the working-age population aged 15-74 the worsening of the labour market has mostly affected men during the latest year. The labour force participation rate for men was 76.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2009, 0.8 percentage points lower than in the second quarter of 2008. The labour force participation rate for women was 70.4 per cent, about the same as in the second quarter of 2008.

Break in the time series

Due to an omission in the data collection during the first half-year of 2008, the employment figures have become too high; approximately 6 000 in the first quarter and 12 000 in the second quarter of 2008. This affects the age group 15-19 and consequently also the whole population aged 15-74. The figures on unemployment are not affected. The tables are not adjusted, but in this article we have made adjustments.

This omission, however, does not affect the seasonally-adjusted figures presented in a separate article.

Employment growth reduced

From the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009, employment rose by 5.000 (based on adjusted figures), which is within the error margin. This is the first time since the third quarter of 2005 that the Labour Force survey does not show an increase in employment on a yearly basis.

The number employed in health and social work increased by 23.000 from the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009. In manufacturing and construction, the Labour Force Survey shows a reduction of 10 000 and 11 000 people in employment respectively.

A new industry classification was introduced as from the publication of the first quarter of 2009. Here is an article presenting general information about the new Norwegian industry classification .

Fewer men in full-time employment

The share in full-time employment among men decreased from 86.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2008 to 85.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2009. In the same period, the share with full-time employment among women experienced a small increase. The average settled working hours for men was 37.0 hours per week, compared with 31.1 hours for women.

Workforce, employed and man-weeks worked. Seasonally-adjusted figures, three month moving average in 1 000

Unemployed (LFS), registered unemployed and registered employed + public sector job creation programmes. Seasonally-adjusted figures, three month moving average in 1 000

Reduction in people on temporary contracts

There were 31.000 fewer people on temporary contracts in the second quarter of 2009 compared with the corresponding quarter of 2008. This corresponds to 8.1 per cent of total employment. Education and health and social work employed about half of all the people on temporary contracts, but the industries had a decrease of 1.5 and 1.7 percentage points respectively in this period.

Increased unemployment among men

According to the Labour Force Survey, the unemployment figure increased by 17 000 from the second quarter of 2008 to the second quarter of 2009. The largest increase was among men. The unemployment rate was 3.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2009, while it was 2.8 per cent in the same quarter of 2008.

The number of registered unemployed with the Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV) increased by 32.000 in the same period. This is a higher increase than for unemployed in the Labour Force survey. This difference is mainly caused by respondents not fulfilling all the conditions to be comsidered unemployed. It is possible to fulfil the conditions for being defined as unemployed by NAV, and at the same time not fulfil the conditions for being defined as unemployed in the Labour Force Survey.

Reduction in the number of unemployed

Underemployment is employees with part-time settled working hours who have tried to find more work. The number of underemployed was 60.000 in the second quarter of 2009, a reduction of 8.000 from the same quarter in 2008. In the second quarter of 2009, the underemployed represented 8.7 per cent of all part-time employees, down from 9.9 per cent in the same quarter in 2008.

The group of underemployed and unemployed together, wanted work that corresponds to 99.000 full-time equivalents in the second quarter of 2009 - up 19.000 from the second quarter of 2008. The increase came among the unemployed.

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