Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q2 2010

In the rest of the population, the registered unemployment rate increased from 2.1 to 2.2 per cent. Hence, the growth in unemployment was much stronger among immigrants, but was, however, weaker compared to the preceding quarters when the immigrants’ unemployment increased between 1.4 and 2.8 percentage points.

Strongest increase and the highest level among Africans

The unemployment rate among immigrants from Africa increased by 1.7 percentage points from the second quarter of 2009 to 2010. Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had the second highest increase at 0.9 percentage points, while the Latin American group had a growth at 0.8 percentage points. The growth within the other groups was only 0.5 percentage points or lower. Most of the immigrant groups had a weaker growth compared to the previous quarters.

Immigrants from Africa had the highest rate in the second quarter of 2010 at 13.5 per cent. The next highest rate was among immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, with an unemployment rate of 9.3 per cent. The Asian group had a rate of 8.2 per cent, while immigrants from Eastern Europe outside the EU and Latin America had rates of about 7 per cent. As usual, there is a gap to the groups from the Nordic countries and Western-Europe, which have considerably lower unemployment rates; 3.2 and 3.5 per cent respectively.

The high level of unemployment among Africans is partly due to the dominance of refugees within this group. African immigrants have for several years had the highest registered unemployment rate irrespective of the economic cycles. With regard to the immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe, their unemployment rate is caused by the declining economic cycles and the loss of jobs that many labour immigrants within the construction industry have experienced. However, the unemployment growth within this group is much weaker now than in previous quarters.

Slightly stronger growth among women

Immigrant women experienced a somewhat stronger growth in the unemployment rate than immigrant men; 0.7 versus 0.5 percentage points. Within the majority population, the growth was almost the same among men and women. Hence, these figures break the trend of the previous quarters when the growth among men was considerably stronger, both within the majority and the immigrant group. However, the level of unemployment is still higher among men. Within the immigrant group, the rate was 8.1 per cent among men versus 6.1 per cent among women. In the rest of the population the unemployment rates were 2.7 and 1.6 per cent respectively.

Increase among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed. This group constituted 731 registered unemployed in May 2010. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.3 per cent, which was 1.5 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the majority population (at 3.8 per cent), but 2.8 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (at 8.1 per cent). Among these three young population groups, the Norwegian-born to immigrant parents had the strongest growth in the unemployment rate (of 1.1 percentage points).

Weaker growth among unemployed not registered as residents

A total of 1 587 of the unemployed were not registered as residents in Norway in the second quarter of 2010. Of these non-residents, 740 were citizens from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and 460 from the Nordic countries. The group of unemployed non-residents has expanded by 18 per cent since the second quarter of 2009, when it constituted 1 347 people. This is a considerably weaker growth compared to the previous quarters. As much as 86 per cent of the non-residents in the second quarter of 2010 were men.

Reduced increase also among participants on labour market schemes

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

6 448 in May 2009 to 7 672 in May 2010, which constituted a growth of 1 224 participants or 19 per cent, which is much weaker compared to the two preceding quarters with increases above 50 per cent.

Among non-immigrants, the number of participants increased from 11 424 to 11 865 participants; a growth of only 441 participant, which constitutes 4 per cent. In total, 19 537 people participated in labour market schemes, of which immigrants constituted 39 per cent. Among the immigrant participants, 66 per cent came from Africa or Asia.

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 2 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the population aged 15 to 74 years. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 3 Registered unemployed, by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. By the end of May 2009 and 2010. Absolute figures and in per cent of the population aged 15-74 years in each group
• Table 4 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the population aged 15 to 74 years in each group. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 5 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job-programmes) by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the population aged 15 to 74 years in each group. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 6 Registered unemployed by sex, immigrant background, region of birth and age. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the labour force. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and sex. By the end of May 2009 and 2010
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and age. By the end of May 2009 and 2010