Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q3 2011

The decrease only occurred among men. The unemployment rate was almost unchanged among women. We can observe this tendency both within the immigrant group and the population as a whole. Men from the EU countries in Eastern Europe experienced the strongest decrease.

Male immigrants had a decline of 1.5 percentage points, while female immigrants experienced a marginal growth in the unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage point. We can also observe the same tendency in the rest of the population; a decline of 0.3 percentage points among men and a stable rate among the women. This tendency is due to the fall in unemployment in the male dominated occupations within construction and manufacturing, while there is some growth in the female dominated occupations in the public sector. Hence, the unemployment rate among female immigrants is now higher than the rate among the male immigrants; 7.6 versus 6.6 per cent. In the whole population, men still have the highest rate; 2.3 versus 2.0 per cent among women.

Strongest decrease among immigrants from Eastern EU countries

Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had the strongest decrease in the unemployment rate; of 2 percentage points from the 3rd quarter of 2010 to the 3rd quarter of 2011. The other immigrant groups had declines between 0.1 and 0.6 percentage points.

Immigrants from Africa still had the highest level in the third quarter of 2011, at 14.4 per cent. Then came immigrants from Asia with an unemployment rate of 9.1 per cent. Immigrants from Eastern Europe outside the EU and Latin America had almost equal rates; 7.5 and 7.4 per cent respectively, while the group from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had a rate of 6.8 per cent. As usual, there is a gap to the groups from the Nordic countries and Western Europe, which have considerably lower unemployment rates; 2.8 and 3.0 per cent respectively. The smallest immigrant group, those from North America and Oceania, also had a low rate at 2.9 per cent.

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.

Some increase among participants on labour market schemes

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

4 290 in August 2010 to 5 290 in August 2011, i.e. an increase of 1 000 participants. When looking at the rates of unemployed and participants on labour market schemes put together, there is still a declining tendency among the immigrants during the relevant period. Among non-immigrants, the number of participants increased from 5 970 to 6 500; an increase of 530 participants. More than 45 per cent of the participants were immigrants. The largest groups among them came from Asia and Africa.

Also decrease among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed. This group constituted 820 registered unemployed in August 2011. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.0 per cent, which was 1.4 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the majority population (at 3.6 per cent), but 2.8 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (at 7.8 per cent). Of these three young population groups, the Norwegian-born to immigrant parents had the strongest decline since August 2010, of 1.0 percentage point.

Tables:

• Table 1 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. In absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force within each group. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 2 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job programmes), by immigrant background, region of birth and sex. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons aged 15 to 74 years within each group. By the end of August 2011 and 2011
• Table 3 Registered unemployed by region of birth and time of residence in Norway. Absolute figures and in per cent of persons in total aged 15-74 years within each group. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 4 Registered unemployed, by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force in each group. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 5 Participants on ordinary labour market schemes (job-programmes), by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute figures and in per cent of the population aged 15 to 74 years in each group. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 6 Registered unemployed, by sex, immigrant background, region of birth and age. Absolute figures and in per cent of the labour force. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and sex. By the end of August 2010 and 2011
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and age. By the end of August 2010 and 2011