Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q1 2002

In spite of an increase in the employee rate among immigrants in the 4^{t h}. quarter last year, we also find an increase in the unemployment rate. This might seem to be a paradox, but in fact the tendencies indicate an increasing activity on the labour market, since more immigrants are being employed while at the same time more immigrants than earlier register themselves as job seekers.

Highest increase among people from Africa

Unemployment among immigrants from Africa increased the most, by 1.3 percentage points.

This group also had the highest unemployment rate, 14.6 per cent, while immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe had 10.6 and 9.8 per cent respectively. Immigrants from Central and South America had the lowest rate among the non-westerners, 8.2 per cent. The rates for immigrants from the western regions were as usual only a few decimals higher than for the entire population. These trends are in fact very stable in the Norwegian labour market. Among the 11 670 registered unemployed immigrants 9 686 had a non-western background, a proportion of 83 per cent.

Highest unemployment increase among women

Female immigrants had a little higher increase in the unemployment rate than the males. From February 2001 to February 2002 the increase in these two groups were 0.9 and 0.5 percentage points respectively, but still the unemployment rate among men is the highest, 8.8 per cent versus 6.9 per cent among the women.

In the entire population men had a registered unemployment rate of 3.3 per cent while the women's rate was 2.7 per cent. Also here we find the highest increase among women, 0.3 percentage points versus 0.2 percentage points among men.

Fewer immigrants on labour market schemes

At the national level there has been a decrease in the number of persons covered by ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) at about 20 per cent from February 2001 to February 2002 (14 585 to 11 723 participants). Among immigrants this decrease was about the same in per cent (4 660 to

3 725 participants). These 3 725 immigrants accounted for 32 per cent of all persons covered by such schemes and included mostly non-westerners. In relation to the whole immigrant population 16 - 74 years, immigrants had a percentage of participants of 1.6 while the percentage for the whole population was 0.4.

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed aged 16-74 years, by region of birth and sex. In absolute numbers and per cent of the labour force. By the end of November 2000, February 2001, November 2001 and February 2002
• Table 2 Participants in ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by region of birth and sex . In absolute numbers and per cent of persons aged 16-74 years. By the end of November 2000, February 2001, November 2001 and February 2002
• Table 3 Registered unemployed and participants in ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. In per cent of persons, total, aged 16-74 years. By the end of February 2001 and 2002
• Table 4 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons, total, 16-74 years. By the end of February 2001
• Table 5 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons, total, 16-74 years. By the end of February 2002
• Table 6 Registered participants in ordinary labour market schemes, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons, total, 16-74 years. By the end of February 2002