Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q1 2004

Registered unemployment among first-generation immigrants increased from 9.7 per cent in February 2003 to 10.4 per cent in February 2004. For the entire population, unemployment increased from 3.9 to 4.1 per cent. All figures are calculated as a fraction of the labour force.

The number of unemployed immigrants increased from 15 230 to 16 551 in this period. Immigrants accounted for 17 per cent of all registered unemployed. In other words, one in six unemployed was an immigrant. More than 80 per cent of the unemployed immigrants were of non-western origin.

Highest among Africans

Immigrants from Africa had the highest unemployment rate at 19.1 per cent. The unemployment among immigrants from Asia was 13.5 per cent, followed by South and Central America and Eastern Europe at just over 11 per cent. Immigrants from the Nordic countries had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.8 per cent, compared with 5.1 per cent for immigrants from other western European countries. Immigrants from North America and Oceania had an unemployment rate of 6.1 per cent. However, this is a small group of only 247 registered unemployed.

Immigrants from Africa experienced the highest unemployment growth at 1.7 percentage points, while immigrants from the other non-western regions had a growth just below 1.0 percentage point. For the population as a whole the growth was 0.2 percentage points and among immigrants in total 0.7 percentage points.

More men than women

Looking at the population as a whole, the unemployment among men was 4.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2004, compared with 3.4 per cent for women. The corresponding rates for immigrants were 11.7 and 8.8 per cent respectively.

One in three on labour market schemes is an immigrant

The number of people on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) increased from 13 054 in February 2003 to 21 094 in February 2004. The figure increased from 4 309 to 6 232 for immigrants. Immigrants accounted for 30 per cent of all participants on such schemes and included mainly non-westerners.

As a percentage of the entire population, participation in labour market schemes increased from 0.4 per cent to 0.6 per cent. For the immigrant population this figure increased from 1.8 to 2.4 per cent.

Immigrants from Africa and Asia had the highest participant rates in February 2004 at 4.3 and 3.3 per cent respectively.

(Please note that the occupationally disabled are no longer included in these figures. As a result the 2002 and 2003 figures are slightly lower than previously published figures.)

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed aged 16-74 years, by region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and per cent of the labour force. By the end of November 2002, February 2003, November 2003 and February 2004
• Table 2 Participants in ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and per cent of persons aged 16-74 years. By the end of November 2002, February 2003, November 2003 and February 2004
• Table 3 Registered unemployed and participants in ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. In per cent of persons in total aged 16-74 years. By the end of February 2003 and 2004
• Table 4 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total 16-74 years. By the end of February 2003
• Table 5 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute figures and per cent of persons in total 16-74 years. By the end of February 2004
• Table 6 Registered participants in ordinary labour market schemes, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute figures and per cent of persons in total 16-74 years. By the end of February 2004