Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q2 2014

In total, approximately 72 500 were registered as unemployed in the 2nd quarter of 2014. Of these, almost 28 000 were immigrants, which is a share of approximately 39 per cent of unemployed in total.

In absolute numbers, there were almost 3 700 more immigrants unemployed in May 2014. Among them, 1 500 came from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, and they were mainly men. The total number of registered unemployed increased with slightly above 6 900. Hence, immigrants constituted more than half of the growth in the unemployment from May 2013 to May 2014.

Strongest increase among immigrants from Africa

Immigrants from Africa had the strongest growth in the unemployment rate, by 1.1 percentage points, followed by immigrants from North America and Oceania (0.7 percentage points) and the group from Latin America (0.6 percentage points). Immigrants from Eastern Europe (both EU and non-EU countries) and the group from Asia all had an increase of 0.5 percentage points. Immigrants from Western Europe and the Nordic countries had the weakest growth in registered unemployment; 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points respectively.

Large differences among immigrants

As in previous years, immigrants from Africa have the highest unemployment level, at 13.5 per cent. This was followed by immigrants from Asia with 8.3 per cent and from the EU countries in Eastern Europe with 7.7 per cent registered unemployed. Immigrants from Latin America and Eastern Europe outside the EU both had 6.9 per cent this quarter. The remaining groups had considerably lower rates, as is normally the case. Immigrants from the Nordic countries had the lowest rate, with 2.7 per cent, while immigrants from North America/Oceania and Western Europe had rates of 3.1 and 3.3 respectively.

Male immigrants had an unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent, while female immigrants lie slightly above with 7.2 per cent. In the rest of the population, the unemployment rate was 2.2 per cent for men and 1.7 for women.

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 1.5 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2013 to 1.1 per cent in the 2nd quarter of 2014. In the remaining population, this rate was stable at 0.3 per cent. Immigrants from Africa had the highest participation rate at 2.4 per cent. Female immigrants had a higher participation rate than male immigrants; 1.4 versus 0.8 per cent.

A total of 6 354 immigrants were participants on labour market schemes in the 2nd quarter of 2014. In total, 15 049 people participated. Immigrants therefore constituted more than 42 per cent of the total participant group. The majority came from Asia, Africa and the eastern EU countries.

Lower unemployment among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents than immigrants

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed persons despite some growth during the last year. This group constituted slightly above 1 000 registered unemployed

persons in the 2nd quarter of 2014. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.3 per cent, which was 3.1 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (at 8.4 per cent) and 1.8 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the rest of the population (at 3.5 per cent).

Among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents between 15 and 29 years of age, the unemployment rate only increased by 0.1 percentage point since the 2nd quarter of 2013. The remaining population groups at this age had increases of 0.3 (immigrants) and 0.4 percentage points (the majority).