Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q4 2009

The relative growth in the unemployment rate was slightly stronger in this quarter among immigrants than in the rest of the population. Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had in particular the strongest increase together with those from the Nordic countries and the rest of Western Europe. African and Asian immigrants are to a lesser degree affected by last year’s unemployment increase, and they experienced a weaker relative growth than the majority population. This tendency is related to the employment pattern, since these immigrants mainly work in different industries to those mostly affected by the economic cycles, such as the construction and the manufacturing industries.

A total of 18 541 immigrants settled in Norway were registered unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2009. There was a growth of 6 875 unemployed immigrants from the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Settled immigrants constituted in total 27.5 per cent of the total number of 67 425 registered unemployed in Norway in the fourth quarter, which was almost the same percentage as in the preceding year.

Unemployed from the EU countries in the east at the Asian’s level

Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and those from Asia both had an unemployment rate of 8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009. Those from Eastern Europe outside the EU and from Latin America both had slightly lower rates, at about 7 per cent each. Despite a rather strong relative increase, the Nordic and Western European groups still had the lowest registered unemployment rates, at 3.0 and 3.2 per cent respectively, while the Africans had the highest rate, at 12.4 per cent. This group has had the highest registered unemployment rate for several years, irrespective of the economic cycles. This tendency is partly due to the dominance of refugees (from Somalia), with a shorter residence in Norway within this 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. 2.6 versus 1.4 percentage points. This gave rates of 7.5 and 5.8 per cent respectively in the fourth quarter of 2009. In the rest of the population, the unemployment rate among men was 2.5 per cent and 1.6 among women. Also within this majority population we find the strongest growth among males. This pattern is related to the increased unemployment within the male dominated industries of construction and manufacturing.

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 too - from 384 in November 2008 to 699 in November 2009. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.1 per cent, which was 1.6 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the majority population, but 2.4 per cent lower than the immigrant group. Among these three young population groups, the Norwegian-born to immigrant parents had the strongest relative growth in the unemployment rate.

Unemployed not registered as residents almost doubled

A total of 1 384 of the unemployed were not registered as residents in Norway in the fourth quarter of 2009. Of these non-residents, 590 were citizens from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and 370 from the Nordic countries. The group of unemployed non-residents has expanded by almost 90 per cent since the fourth quarter of 2008 when it constituted 723 people. As much as 85 per cent of the non-residents were men.

Strong increase among participants on labour market schemes

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

5 320 in November 2008 to 8 143 in November 2009, which constitutes a growth of 53 per cent. Among non-immigrants, the number of participants increased from 7 808 to 13 575 participants, i.e. a growth of 74 per cent. In total, 21 718 people participated in labour market schemes, of which immigrants constituted 37.5 per cent. Sixty-six per cent of the immigrant participants came from Africa or Asia.

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force. By the end of November 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 to 74 years. By the end of November 2008 and 2009
• Table 3 Registered unemployed ,by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. By the end of November 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 to 74 years in each group. By the end of November 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 to 74 years in each group. By the end of November 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 November 2008 and 2009
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as residents, by region of birth and sex. By the end of November 2008 and 2009
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as residents, by region of birth and age. By the end of November 2008 and 2009