Registered unemployed among immigrants (discontinued in Statistics Norway), Q3 2012

Within the immigrant group, the decrease still occurred among men only, who had a decline of 0.7 percentage points since August 2011, and it was the group from the EU countries in Eastern Europe that had the strongest decrease. Among female immigrants, the unemployment rate was unchanged, and in the rest of the population men and women had a decline of 0.2 and 0.1 percentage points respectively.

The registered unemployment rate in the 3rd quarter this year was 5.9 per cent among male immigrants and 7.5 per cent among female immigrants. In the rest of the population, the rates were 2.1 per cent for men and 1.9 for women.

Strongest decrease among immigrants from eastern EU countries

Immigrants from the EU countries in Eastern Europe continued to have the strongest fall in the registered unemployment rate, at 0.7 percentage points from the 3rd quarter of 2011 to the 3rd quarter of 2012. Within the other groups, the decline varied between 0.1 and 0.5 percentage points. Men had the strongest decrease within all of them. Women from the EU countries in Eastern Europe and Africa had small increases of 0.3 and 0.2 percentage points respectively.

Immigrants from Africa still had the highest unemployment level, at 14.2 per cent, followed by immigrants from Asia at 8.7 per cent. Immigrants from both Latin America and Eastern Europe outside the EU had an unemployment rate of about 7 per cent, while those from the EU countries in Eastern Europe had a rate of 6 per cent. The remaining groups had considerably lower rates, as is normally the case. Immigrants from Western Europe had 2.8 per cent, while the groups from the Nordic countries and North America and Oceania had 2.6 per cent each.

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.

Small increase among participants on labour market schemes

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

5 291 in August 2011 to 5 527 in August 2012. This increase of 236 participants did not, however, enhance the participation rate among immigrants, which was unchanged at 1.1 per cent. Among non-immigrants, the number of participants decreased by 97, and the participation rate, at 0.2 per cent, was also unchanged. Immigrants from Africa and Asia had the highest participation rates at 2.3 and 1.5 per cent respectively. These two groups counted 3 571 participants, which constituted almost 65 per cent of the immigrant participants.

Lower unemployment among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents than immigrants

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents is still a rather small group of unemployed. This group constituted 883 registered unemployed in August 2012. The majority within this group are aged 15-29 years, and the unemployment rate among them was 5.1 per cent, which was 2.6 percentage points below the immigrant group at the same age (7.7 per cent) and 1.7 percentage points higher than the corresponding age group in the rest of the population (3.4 per cent). Among immigrants at this age the unemployment rate was unchanged, while slightly increasing by 0.1 percentage point among Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. In the rest of the population between 15 and 29 years of age the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points.

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 2011 and 2012
• 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 persons aged 15 to 74 years within each group. By the end of August 2011 and 2012
• 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 2011 and 2012
• Table 4 Registered unemployed by immigrant background, region of birth and county of residence. Absolute numbers and in per cent of the labour force in each group. By the end of August 2011 and 2012
• 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 August 2011 and 2012
• 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 August 2011 and 2012
• Table 7 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and sex. By the end of August 2011 and 2012
• Table 8 Unemployed persons not registered as resident, by region of birth and age. By the end of August 2011 and 2012