Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q3 2004

Immigrants from North America and Oceania and Western Europe (except the Nordic countries) had the strongest decrease of 0.7 and 0.6 percentage points respectively. Immigrants from the Nordic countries and the non-western regions had a decrease of 0.2 or 0.3 percentage points.

Highest among Africans

Immigrants from Africa had the highest unemployment rate at 20.1 per cent in August 2004, while 14.4 per cent of immigrants from Asia were unemployed. The immigrants from Eastern Europe and South and Central America had rates almost at the same level, 11.6 and 11.5 per cent respectively. Immigrants from the Nordic countries had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.5 per cent closely followed by immigrants from the other western European countries at 4.7 per cent. Unemployment among immigrants from North America and Oceania was 5.6 per cent. However, this is the smallest immigrant group of only 227 registered unemployed.

The new EU countries

Immigrants from the new EU countries in Eastern Europe had in total an unemployment rate of 7.1 per cent at the end of August 2004. Among immigrants from the other eastern European countries the rate came to 13.2 per cent. In other words, immigrants from the new EU countries had an unemployment rate closer to the western immigrants than the non - westerners. However, this group has experienced an increase in the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points since August 2003.

Decrease among men only

Looking at the population as a whole, the unemployment both among men and women was 4.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2004. The corresponding rates for immigrants were 11.2 and 10.4 per cent respectively. Only men, both within the entire population and among the immigrants, had a decline in the unemployment rate, 0.4 percentage points in both groups. Among women in total the unemployment was stable, while it increased by 0.2 percentage points among immigrant women.

Labour market schemes

The number of immigrants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes) decreased from

3 527 in August 2003 to 2 753 in August 2004. These people accounted for 27 per cent of all participants on such schemes and included mainly non-westerners.

As a percentage of the immigrant population, participation on labour market schemes decreased from 1.4 per cent to 1.1 per cent. In the whole population the participant rate was stable at 0.3 per cent.

Immigrants from Africa and Asia had the highest participant rates in August 2004 at 1.8 and 1.4 per cent respectively.

Please note that the occupationally disabled are no longer included in these figures. As a result the 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 May 2003, August 2003, May 2004 and August 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 May 2003, August 2003, May 2004 and August 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 August 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 August 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 August 2004
• Table 6 Registered participants in ordinary labour market schemes, by region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of persons in total 16-74 years. By the end of August 2004
• Table 7 Registered unemployed first generation immgrants from Eastern Europe, by EU status of the country of birth. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the labour force. By the end of August 2003 and 2004