Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q3 2009

A total of 20 153 immigrants settled in Norway were registered unemployed in the third quarter of 2009. There was an increase of 9 000 unemployed immigrants from the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe represented one third of this growth. Settled immigrants constituted in total 26 per cent of the total number of 77 100 registered unemployed in Norway in the third quarter.

Unemployed not registered as residents

A total of 1 288 of the unemployed were not registered as residents in Norway in the third quarter of 2009. Of those non-residents, 469 were citizens from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and 371 from the Nordic countries. The group of unemployed non-residents has doubled since the third quarter of 2008 when it constituted 615 people. Almost 83 per cent of the non-residents were men. (See tables 7 and 8.) In the text below, only the resident group of immigrants is mentioned, unless otherwise indicated.

Still strongest increase among those from the EU countries in the east

Immigrants from EU countries in Eastern Europe had a growth in the unemployment rate of 6 percentage points since the third quarter of 2008. As for the other immigrant groups, the growth among the Africans and the Latin Americans was 3.8 and 3.3 percentage points respectively, while in both the Asian and the Eastern European group (outside the EU) the growth was about 2.5 percentage points. The Western European and the Nordic group had a growth of about 1.5 percentage points each. It must, however, be emphasised that the level was very low within these two groups in the third quarter of 2008. Thus, the relative growth is stronger compared to groups with much higher unemployment rates at the starting point.

The growth in the unemployment from the third quarter of 2008 to 2009 gave rates of about 8 per cent in both of the Eastern European groups together with the Latin American group and 9 per cent among the Asians. However, the Africans still had the highest unemployment rate, at 14.2 per cent. As usual, immigrants from the Nordic countries and Western Europe had the lowest rates, at about 3.0 per cent in each group.

Men are more affected by the rise in unemployment

Immigrant men still experience a much stronger growth in the unemployment rate than immigrant women, i.e. 3.9 versus 1.6 percentage points. This gave rates of 8 and 6.9 per cent respectively in the third quarter of 2009. In the rest of the population, the unemployment rate among men was 2.8 per cent and 2.1 among women. Also within this majority population we find the strongest growth among males (1.4 versus 0.6 percentage points). This tendency is due to the increased unemployment within male dominated industries, such as construction and some manufacturing in particular. This fact also explains the strong growth in the unemployment rate among male immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe who are strongly represented within the construction industry.

Increase also among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents (previously referred to as “descendants”) is still a rather small group of registered unemployed despite a growth among them - from 354 in August 2008 to 689 in August 2009. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 4.9 per cent, which was 0.5 percentage point higher than the corresponding age group in the population as a whole.

Increase among participants on labour market schemes

The number of immigrants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) increased from

3 411 in August 2008 to 4 637 in August 2009, i.e. 1 226 more participants and hence a growth of 36 per cent. Among non-immigrants, the number of participants increased by 2 900 participants, which was a growth of 68 per cent. In total, 11 790 people participated in labour market schemes, and immigrants constituted 39 per cent of them.

As a percentage of the immigrant population aged 15-74 years, the participation rate within this group was 1.2 per cent. In the rest of the population, the participation rate was 0.2 per cent. Immigrants from Africa had the highest participation rate at 2.8 per cent in August 2009. Above 70 per cent of all participants who are immigrants came from Asia or Africa.

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force in each group. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 2 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 3 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. By the end of August 2008 and 2009. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total aged 15-74 years in each group
• Table 4 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 5 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job-programmes) by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 6 Registered unemployed, by sex, immigrant background, region of birth and age. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the labour force in each group. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as residents, by region of birth and sex. By the end of August 2008 and 2009
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as residents, by region of birth and age. By the end of August 2008 and 2009