Employment among immigrants, register-based, 2009, 4th quarter

Despite a decline in the employment rate, there was, however, a growth in the number of employed immigrants of 10 100, as opposed to the whole population who experienced a decrease of 28 000 employed from the 4^{t h} quarter of 2008 to 2009. When the employment rate among immigrants nevertheless falls, this is due to a relatively strong growth in the population basis caused by an expanded immigration. The growth in the immigrant population aged 15 to 74 years was twice as high as the growth among the employed immigrants (i.e. 8.4 versus 4.2 per cent).

Strongest decrease among immigrants from Africa

We find the strongest decrease in the employment rate among African immigrants, at 4.4 percentage points. Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America all had a decline of about 3 percentage points each. As far as the remaining groups are concerned, the decline was between one and two percentage points. There was, however, no decline in the number of employed in any of these immigrant groups. We find a growth in this number within all of them, but to a widely different extent, from 5 200 employed among immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe to only 90 more employed among the African immigrants. These two mentioned groups had moreover the strongest population increase during the last year - and above all the Eastern Europeans.

Still a high level among EU immigrants

Despite the decline in the employment rate from 2008 to 2009, immigrants from the EU countries still had rates slightly above the average level of the whole population at 69.7 per cent. The highest rate is to be found among the Nordic immigrants at 74.6 per cent. Then we find rates at 71.7 and 70.6 per cent among immigrants from Western Europe other and the EU countries in Eastern Europe respectively. As for the other groups concerned, the rates were as follows: Immigrants from North-America and Oceania; 64.7 per cent, South and Central America; 62.8 per cent, Eastern Europe outside the EU; 61 per cent, Asia; 53.9 per cent and Africa 45.3; per cent. These differences in the level of employment between the country groups have been stable for several years irrespective of the economic cycles.

One of the factors behind the low employment rates among the Africans and partly the Asians is a relatively high proportion of refugees with a short period of residence in Norway within these groups, especially the African group. Many of the refugees and their reunified families are participating in the introduction programmes and are thus outside the labour force during the first two years of their residence in Norway. Hence, the period of residence is of greater importance with regard to the level of employment among these immigrants than for the many labour immigrants from the EU countries who enter the labour market soon after arrival to Norway.

In addition there are other factors that also influence the employment level. Among immigrants from some African and Asian countries we find in general very low employment rates among women compared to men, which reduce the average within these groups. This phenomenon concerns both established groups such as the Pakistani and the Turkish, and more recently arrived immigrants from Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq.

Highest employment rate, but also strongest reduction among men

Male immigrants had an employment rate of 65.9 per cent, while the female immigrants had 57.1 per cent employed in the fourth quarter of 2009. In the population as a whole, the rates were 72.4 and 67 per cent respectively. However, immigrant men had yet the strongest decrease in the employment rate from 2008 to 2009 at 3.4 percentage points versus 1.6 among the women. In the population as a whole, men also experienced the strongest reduction, i.e. 2.1 percentage points versus 1.5 among the women.

Norwegian-born with immigrant parents are closer to the young population as a whole

This group constitutes a rather young population, where nearly half are below 21 years of age (among those between 15 and 74 years of age), and many are likely to be students/pupils and thus not included in the labour force. If we, however, look at the group of employed aged 20 to 24 years, the employment rate was about 65 per cent, which is ca. 9 percentage points higher than the employment rate in the same age group among immigrants and 5 percentage points below the total average rate for this age group. We also see much the same differences among those aged 25 to 29 years. Compared to the 4^{t h} quarter of 2008, the decline in the employment rate within these young population groups was almost the same irrespective of immigrant background. Among those aged 20 to 24 years, the employment rate fell by 5 percentage points, and in the group aged 24 to 29 years we see a decline of ca. 3 percentage points. It must , however, be emphasised that the Norwegian-born with immigrant parents still constitute a small group in the labour market, counting no more than 14 100 employed people in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Tables:

• Table 1 Employed by immigrant category, world region and sex . Q4 2008 and 2009. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group
• Table 2 Employed by immigrant category, world region and age. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total in each group. Q4 2009
• Table 3 Employed, by immigrant category, world region, sex and labour market status. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group. Q4 2009
• Table 4 Employed immigrants by world region of birth and period of residence in Norway. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years in each group. Q4 2009
• Table 5 Employed by period of residence in Norway, age and world region of birth. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total in each group. Q4 2009
• Table 6 Employed aged 15-74 years by industries, immigrant background and country group. Q4 2009.
• Table 7 Employed aged 15-74 years, by industries, immigrant background and country group. Per cent. Q4 2009
• Table 8 Employed aged 15-74 years, by industries and world region of birth. Per cent. Q4. 2009
• Table 9 Employed immigrants aged 15-74 years by industries and world region of birth. Absolute figures and in per cent of employed in total within each industry group. Q4 2009
• Table 10 Employed immigrants, by selcted countries of birth and sex. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons aged 15-74 years within each group Q4 2009.
• Table 11 Employees, by immigrant-background, country group and economic sector. Absolute figures and in per cent. Q4 2008 and 2009
• Table 12 Employees, by economic sector, sex and world region. Absolute figures and per cent.Q42009.
• Table 13 Employed, by occupational group and country group of birth. Absolute numbers and in per cent. Q4 2009
• Table 14 Employed, by county of residence and country group of birth. Absolute numbers and in per cent of people 15-74 years in each group. Q4 2008 and 2009
• Table 15 People aged 15-74 years, by sex, world region of birth and labour force status. Q4 2009
• Table 16 People aged 15-74 years, by sex, world region of birth and labour force status. Per cent. Q4 2009