Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q4 2013

In absolute numbers, there were 3 760 more immigrants unemployed in November 2013. Of these, 1 866 came from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, and were mostly men (1 300). In the rest of the population, there were 3 976 more persons registered as unemployed.

Strongest increase among immigrants from EU countries in the east

Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had the strongest growth, of 0.9 percentage points. Immigrants from Latin America and Africa had increases of 0.7 and 0.5 percentage points respectively. The remaining groups had increases of 0.3 percentage points each except the Nordic immigrants who had an increase of 0.2 percentage points.

Male immigrants had a growth of 0.6 percentage points in the unemployment rate, while the increase among female immigrants was 0.4 percentage points. In the rest of the population, the increase among men and women was 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points respectively.

African immigrants have the highest unemployment rate

As in previous years, immigrants from Africa have the highest unemployment level, at 12.9 per cent. This was followed by immigrants from Asia at 7.8 per cent. Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had a rate of 6.9 per cent, while immigrants from Eastern Europe outside the EU and from Latin America had almost the same unemployment rates at 6.7 and 6.6 per cent respectively.

The remaining groups had considerably lower rates, as is normally the case. Immigrants from Western Europe had a rate of 3.0 per cent, while immigrants from North America and Oceania together with the Nordic countries had rates of 2.8 and 2.7 per cent respectively.

Male immigrants had an unemployment rate of 6.3 per cent, while female immigrants still have a slightly higher rate, at 6.8 per cent. In the rest of the population, this difference was the other way round, with 2.1 per cent for men and 1.6 for women.

Slight decline among participants on labour market schemes

Measured as a percentage of the immigrant population aged 15-74 years, the rate of participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) decreased from 1.6 per cent in the 4th quarter of 2012 to 1.4 per cent in the 4th quarter of 2013. In the remaining population, this rate was stable at 0.3 per cent. Immigrants from Africa and Asia had the highest participation rates at 3.1 and 2.0 per cent respectively. Female immigrants had a higher participation rate than male immigrants, with 1.9 versus 1.0 per cent.

A total of 8 090 immigrants were participants on labour market schemes. In total, 18 032 people participated in the 4th quarter of 2013. Immigrants therefore constituted ca. 45 per cent of the total participant group.

Lower unemployment among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents than immigrants

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed. This group constituted 988 registered unemployed persons in November 2013. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.3 per cent, which was 2 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (at 7.3 per cent) and 2 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the rest of the population (at 3.3 per cent).

Among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents between 15 and 29 years of age, the unemployment rate has increased by 0.6 percentage points since the 4th quarter of 2012, while there was an increase of 0.4 percentage points in the other two population groups at the same age.