Wage totals from End of the Year Certificate Register, 1999

The increase in privately owned enterprises was 7.0 per cent while it was 6.5 per cent in public administration. The comparative figure from 1997 to 1998 was an increase of 12.4 per cent in private enterprises and 8.7 per cent in general government.

Privately owned businesses paid 52.6 per cent of all wages, remuneration etc. while publicly owned enterprises accounted for 30.5 per cent of payments. The financial sector accounted for 3.1 per cent of all payments of wages, remuneration etc.

Rapid growth in services

There has been rapid growth in total payments of wages, remuneration etc. in business-related services, which saw an 11.4 per cent increase from 1998. In comparison, the growth in manufacturing was 2.8 per cent while the wholesale and retail trade sector had a 5.8 per cent increase. Manufacturing and the wholesale and retail trade sector were the two sectors with the highest total payment of wages, remuneration etc., accounting for 16.0 and 13.3 per cent of all payments.

More people on payrolls

In 1999, a total of 2 584 000 persons received wages, remuneration etc. This is an increase of about 26 400, or 1.0 per cent from 1998. The increase was most pronounced for those between 51 and 65 years of age, in which the increase was 4.2 per cent from the year before. For persons between 20 and 30 years of age there was a decline of 1.3 per cent. In the Oslo/Akershus area there was a 1.3 per cent increase in the number of people who received wages, remuneration etc. in 1999 compared with the year before while in Northern Norway there was a 0.2 per cent decline.

Fewer on unemployment benefit

184 100 persons received unemployment benefit in 1999, a decline of 10.0 per cent from the year before. The number of persons who received unemployment benefit dropped in all regions. The biggest decrease was in the Oslo/Akershus area, which saw a 14.3 per cent decline. Total disbursements of employment benefit amounted to nearly NOK 5.4 billion in 1999, an increase of 3.1 per cent from 1998. Average payments increased 14.6 per cent among those on unemployment benefit.

Increase in payments of pensions and similar

A total of NOK 131.8 billion was paid out in pensions and the like in 1999, an increase of 6.7 per cent from 1998. The amount covers National Insurance disbursements such as old age and disability pension, and various payments of pensions outside National Insurance. Altogether, just over 1 395 000 persons received pensions and the like, an increase of 18 700 from 1998.