Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q3 2010

Hence, there was still growth in the unemployment rate among immigrants, at 0.5 percentage points, but this growth was, however, the weakest registered since the economic decline that occurred in the autumn of 2008. With regard to participants on labour market schemes, there is now a slight decline both within the immigrant group and the majority population.

Strongest increase and the highest level among Africans

The unemployment rate among immigrants from Africa increased by 1.1 percentage points from the third quarter of 2009 to 2010. Immigrants from Asia had the second highest increase at 0.8 percentage points, while those from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had an increase of 0.7 percentage points.

The growth within the other groups was almost marginal. Immigrants from Latin-America were the only immigrants with a slight decline in the unemployment rate, at 0.2 percentage points.

Immigrants from Africa had the highest rate in the third quarter of 2010, at 15 per cent. Then came immigrants from Asia and the EU countries in Eastern Europe, with an unemployment rate of 9.5 and 8.9 per cent respectively. Immigrants from Eastern Europe outside the EU had a rate of 8.2 per cent, while the Latin-American group had 7.6 per cent unemployed. As usual, there is a gap to the groups from the Nordic countries and Western Europe, which have considerably lower unemployment rates; 3.3 and 3.6 per cent respectively.

The high level of unemployment among Africans is partly due to the dominance of refugees within this group. African immigrants have for several years had the highest registered unemployment rate irrespective of the economic cycles. With regard to the immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, their unemployment rate is caused by the declining economic cycles and the loss of jobs that many labour immigrants within the construction industry have experienced. However, the unemployment growth within this group is much weaker now than in previous quarters.

Slightly stronger growth among immigrant women

Immigrant women experienced a somewhat stronger growth in the unemployment rate than immigrant men; 0.7 versus 0.3 percentage points. Within the majority population, there was no difference between men and women as far as changes were concerned. Hence, these figures break the trend of the previous quarters when the growth among men was considerably stronger, both within the majority and the immigrant group. However, the level of unemployment is still higher among men. Within the immigrant group, the rate was 8.1 per cent among men versus 7.5 per cent among women. In the rest of the population the unemployment rates were 2.6 and 2.0 per cent respectively.

Strongest increase among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed. This group constituted 880 registered unemployed in August 2010. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 6 per cent, which was 2.1 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the majority population (at 3.9 per cent), but 2.8 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (at 8.8 per cent). Among these three young population groups, the Norwegian-born to immigrant parents had the strongest growth in the unemployment rate (of 1.2 percentage points). The unemployment rate was unchanged among the majority, while rising 0.6 percentage points among immigrants at this age.

Weaker growth among unemployed not registered as residents

A total of 1 443 of the unemployed were not registered as residents in Norway in the third quarter of 2010. Of these non-residents, 711 were citizens from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and 374 were from the Nordic countries. The group of unemployed non-residents has expanded by 12 per cent since the third quarter of 2009, when it constituted 1 287 people. This is a weaker growth compared to the previous quarters. As much as 84 per cent of the non-residents in the third quarter of 2010 were men.

Decrease among participants on labour market schemes

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

4 638 in August 2009 to 4 290 in August 2010. Among non-immigrants, the number of participants declined from 7 152 to 5 971 participants. In total, 10 261 people participated in labour market schemes, of which immigrants constituted 42 per cent. Among the immigrant participants, 67 per cent 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 within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• 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 within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• Table 3 Registered unemployed by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total aged 15 - 74 years within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• 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 within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• 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 within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• Table 6 Registered unemployed by sex, immigrant background, region of birth and age. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the labour force within each group. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and sex. By the end of August 2009 and 2010
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and age. By the end of August 2009 and 2010