Introduction programme for immigrants

Updated: 19 February 2024

Next update: 24 June 2024

Working or studying one year after the introduction programme
Working or studying one year after the introduction programme
2022
65
%
Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme.
Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme.
2022
Both sexesMalesFemales
Number
Labour force status, total3 2991 3761 923
Employed and / or in education, total2 1471 0261 121
Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total1597188
Other or unknown status, total993279714
Percent
Labour force status, total100100100
Employed and / or in education, total657558
Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total555
Other or unknown status, total302037
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Participants of introduction programme, by country of birth and sex
    Participants of introduction programme, by country of birth and sex
    2022
    Participants (persons)Participants (per cent)
    Both sexesMalesFemalesBoth sexesMalesFemales
    Total17 8075 89111 9161003367
    Of this:
    Ukraine7 7211 7295 9921002278
    Syria3 6031 5982 0051004456
    Congo1 2355167191004258
    Eritrea1 1793458341002971
    Afghanistan7993884111004951
    Türkiye7143863281005446
    Sudan3421272151003763
    Russia342882541002674
    South Sudan235791561003466
    Ethiopia205581471002872
    Iran19394991004951
    Somalia151511001003466
    Iraq14457871004060
    Moldova6020401003367
    China5936231006139
    Yemen5429251005446
    Kazakhstan458371001882
    Rwanda4119221004654
    Saudi Arabia3917221004456
    Uganda3513221003763
    Uzbekistan3512231003466
    Libya3417171005050
    Pakistan3116151005248
    Explanation of symbols
  • Participants of introduction programme, sex and selected municipalities
    Participants of introduction programme, sex and selected municipalities
    2022
    ParticipantsParticipants (per cent)
    Both sexesMalesFemalesBoth sexesMalesFemales
    Total17 8075 89111 9161003367
    Selected municipalities:
    3002 Moss160551051003466
    3003 Sarpsborg12848801003863
    3004 Fredrikstad219761431003565
    3005 Drammen2641051591004060
    3007 Ringerike10336671003565
    3020 Nordre Follo162501121003169
    3024 Bærum197721251003763
    3025 Asker196681281003565
    3027 Rælingen9234581003763
    3029 Lørenskog10733741003169
    3030 Lillestrøm237871501003763
    3031 Nittedal6829391004357
    3033 Ullensaker8536491004258
    3049 Lier10832761003070
    0301 Oslo municipality1 1693348351002971
    3403 Hamar11437771003268
    3405 Lillehammer9836621003763
    3407 Gjøvik10630761002872
    3411 Ringsaker12442821003466
    3413 Stange10340631003961
    3420 Elverum7522531002971
    3446 Gran3612241003367
    3801 Horten8125561003169
    3802 Holmestrand5819391003367
    3803 Tønsberg171471241002773
    3804 Sandefjord13335981002674
    3805 Larvik12141801003466
    3806 Porsgrunn9432621003466
    3807 Skien13148831003763
    3811 Færder10733741003169
    3814 Kragerø5114371002773
    4202 Grimstad12337861003070
    4203 Arendal140391011002872
    4204 Kristiansand2921001921003466
    4205 Lindesnes150481021003268
    4223 Vennesla9331621003367
    4225 Lyngdal5715421002674
    1103 Stavanger4271273001003070
    1106 Haugesund182571251003169
    1108 Sandnes259791801003169
    1119 Hå9031591003466
    1122 Gjesdal6724431003664
    1127 Randaberg10040601004060
    1130 Strand8632541003763
    1149 Karmøy9728691002971
    4601 Bergen5391913481003565
    4602 Kinn11031791002872
    4621 Voss8333501004060
    4626 Øygarden9830681003169
    4627 Askøy7625511003367
    4631 Alver4620261004357
    4640 Sogndal7331421004258
    4647 Sunnfjord5924351004159
    1505 Kristiansund7321521002971
    1506 Molde15456981003664
    1507 Ålesund14348951003466
    1563 Sunndal8834541003961
    5001 Trondheim - Tråante4431482951003367
    5006 Steinkjer11647691004159
    5007 Namsos8926631002971
    5028 Melhus7626501003466
    5031 Malvik6623431003565
    5035 Stjørdal11438761003367
    5037 Levanger8627591003169
    5038 Verdal5418361003367
    1804 Bodø229731561003268
    1806 Narvik7320531002773
    1833 Rana4919301003961
    5401 Tromsø244821621003466
    5402 Harstad11950691004258
    5421 Senja7930491003862
    Explanation of symbols
  • Participants of introduction programme by sex an measures
    Participants of introduction programme by sex an measures
    2022
    Participants (persons)Participants (Per cent)
    Both sexesMalesFemalesBoth sexesMalesFemales
    Participants, total17 8075 89111 916100100100
    Norwegian language training with social studies15 2174 96910 248858486
    Language in practice2 5418341 707141414
    Approval of education643034010
    Work (in public sector, from 2011 also private sector)512221291342
    Work practice1 5875889999108
    Primary and lower secondary school1 8587731 08510139
    Upper secondary education924452472584
    Labour market courses1 0913477446.15.96.2
    Occupational courses organized by others3141281861.82.21.6
    Measures that promote health / physical activities1 2884508387.27.67.0
    Measures that promote social networking1 1864367506.77.46.3
    Life skills2 3138661 44713.014.712.1
    Parental guidance1 2573569017.121.37.6
    Other6 1082 1153 993343634
    Messures not registered1 4734381 0358.32.55.8
    Explanation of symbols
  • Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex
    Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex
    2022
    NumberPercent
    Both sexesMalesFemalesBoth sexesMalesFemales
    Labour force status, total3 3001 3761 924100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total2 1481 0261 122657558
    Employed853506347263718
    Employed and in education683351332212617
    In education612169443191223
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total1597188555
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed1135063343
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures462125121
    Other or unknown status, total993279714302037
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure692940222
    Receive work assessment allowances813447222
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance1486010
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit29029102
    Receives social assistance289119170999
    Other groups1082286324
    Unknown4036733612517
    Explanation of symbols
  • Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex and age
    Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex and age
    2022
    20-24 years25-29 years30-34 years35-39 years40-44 years45-50 years51 years or older
    Both sexes
    Labour force status, total562500669594436315224
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total84676865595037
    Employed19232832262921
    Employed and in education4322201614103
    In education22232016191113
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total2456577
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed....34..45
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures....22..32
    Other or unknown status, total13282729364456
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure..2114....
    Receive work assessment allowances1113447
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance..1.........
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit..111....
    Receives social assistance3667101827
    Other groups..3..4468
    Unknown715151314128
    Males
    Labour force status, total343176210209168141129
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total88808178656140
    Employed23384753384025
    Employed and in education4828261914....
    In education17149614....
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total2648568
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed....2624..
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures....2222..
    Other or unknown status, total9141414303352
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure..4....4..5
    Receive work assessment allowances........449
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance...........
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit.......
    Receives social assistance3555131529
    Other groups......1..25
    Unknown4374693
    Females
    Labour force status, total21932445938526817495
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total78606258554032
    Employed11152021192016
    Employed and in education3618181514....
    In education3127242222....
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total3355476
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed3333..4..
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures..22..3..
    Other or unknown status, total19363337415362
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure.2....44..
    Receive work assessment allowances........555
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance..........
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit..222....
    Receives social assistance467882123
    Other groups....35..912
    Unknown12211818181416
    Explanation of symbols
  • Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after leaving the programme. By sex and country background
    Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after leaving the programme. By sex and country background
    2022
    NumberPercent
    Labour force status, totalLabour force status, totalEmployed and / or in education, totalRegistered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, totalOther or unknown status, total
    Both sexes
    Total3 30010065530
    Türkiye18910093....
    Eritrea51710073423
    Ethiopia10110065530
    Congo18110071424
    Somalia7910047846
    Sudan9810056935
    Afghanistan15710075....
    Iraq10910066727
    Iran9510072....
    Saudi Arabia2210077....
    Syria1 56010058537
    Yemen16100....25
    Males
    Total1 37610075520
    Türkiye11910093....
    Eritrea19410081514
    Ethiopia2710070....
    Congo9310081....
    Somalia1510073....
    Sudan1910074....
    Afghanistan9510085....
    Iraq4810071....
    Iran4310065035
    Saudi Arabia9100....0
    Syria64510067627
    Yemen4100..0..
    Females
    Total1 92410058537
    Türkiye701009307
    Eritrea32310068329
    Ethiopia7410064....
    Congo8810061....
    Somalia6410041....
    Sudan7910052....
    Afghanistan6210060040
    Iraq6110062....
    Iran5210077....
    Saudi Arabia13100......
    Syria91510051544
    Yemen1210067....
    Explanation of symbols
  • Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex and residence while in programme
    Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November, one year after ending/leaving the programme. By sex and residence while in programme
    2022
    Persons, by residence while in programme
    NumberPercent
    TotalTotalEmployed and / or in education, totalRegistered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, totalOther or unknown status, total
    Both sexes
    The whole country3 30010065530
    3001 Halden9100......
    3002 Moss2910066034
    3003 Sarpsborg2710070..30
    3004 Fredrikstad3010073....
    3005 Drammen7710075..25
    3006 Kongsberg2210077023
    3007 Ringerike2310061....
    3014 Indre Østfold10100......
    3020 Nordre Follo27100......
    3021 Ås......00
    3024 Bærum8410077....
    3025 Asker5310072....
    3029 Lørenskog1710076....
    3030 Lillestrøm5410072720
    3031 Nittedal1510073027
    3033 Ullensaker24100......
    3034 Nes......00
    3035 Eidsvoll......0..
    3048 Øvre Eiker....80....
    3049 Lier2410075....
    0301 Oslo municipality28410061336
    3403 Hamar2710059....
    3405 Lillehammer1010060....
    3407 Gjøvik3110074....
    3411 Ringsaker1610069031
    3413 Stange1210058....
    3420 Elverum1410057043
    3801 Horten1710041....
    3802 Holmestrand....89....
    3803 Tønsberg4210060....
    3804 Sandefjord2410071....
    3805 Larvik3010057....
    3806 Porsgrunn11100..0..
    3807 Skien32100....53
    3811 Færder2010070....
    4202 Grimstad3010057043
    4203 Arendal3110048....
    4204 Kristiansand9510063433
    4205 Lindesnes1510073027
    1103 Stavanger14710061335
    1106 Haugesund4310072....
    1108 Sandnes4610065....
    1120 Klepp....67....
    1124 Sola8100......
    1149 Karmøy1810044056
    4601 Bergen16210058636
    4624 Bjørnafjorden....770..
    4626 Øygarden14100..0..
    4627 Askøy18100..0..
    4631 Alver8100..0..
    4647 Sunnfjord1510067033
    1505 Kristiansund11100....27
    1506 Molde3010067....
    1507 Ålesund3410062....
    5001 Trondheim - Tråante11210058....
    5006 Steinkjer1410064....
    5035 Stjørdal17100..0..
    5037 Levanger3110074....
    1804 Bodø6510080....
    1806 Narvik9100..0..
    1833 Rana1810072028
    5401 Tromsø6910061....
    5402 Harstad2510080020
    5403 Alta9100..0..
    Males
    The whole country1 37610075520
    3001 Halden......00
    3002 Moss11100..0..
    3003 Sarpsborg10100..0..
    3004 Fredrikstad1110073027
    3005 Drammen2610088012
    3006 Kongsberg....900..
    3007 Ringerike9100......
    3014 Indre Østfold..........
    3020 Nordre Follo7100......
    3021 Ås00000
    3024 Bærum4410084016
    3025 Asker2310074....
    3029 Lørenskog8100..0..
    3030 Lillestrøm2410067....
    3031 Nittedal......00
    3033 Ullensaker7100......
    3034 Nes00000
    3035 Eidsvoll....00..
    3048 Øvre Eiker......00
    3049 Lier10100......
    0301 Oslo municipality11710070426
    3403 Hamar12100......
    3405 Lillehammer5100......
    3407 Gjøvik1310077023
    3411 Ringsaker......00
    3413 Stange6100......
    3420 Elverum10100..0..
    3801 Horten6100......
    3802 Holmestrand710010000
    3803 Tønsberg2110071....
    3804 Sandefjord6100......
    3805 Larvik1710076024
    3806 Porsgrunn710010000
    3807 Skien13100....38
    3811 Færder910010000
    4202 Grimstad1210058042
    4203 Arendal1510067....
    4204 Kristiansand4810083....
    4205 Lindesnes5100..0..
    1103 Stavanger8110070....
    1106 Haugesund1810067....
    1108 Sandnes2210077....
    1120 Klepp4100......
    1124 Sola......00
    1149 Karmøy5100..0..
    4601 Bergen6810079....
    4624 Bjørnafjorden......0..
    4626 Øygarden8100..0..
    4627 Askøy4100..0..
    4631 Alver4100..0..
    4647 Sunnfjord4100..0..
    1505 Kristiansund......00
    1506 Molde1410064....
    1507 Ålesund1310062....
    5001 Trondheim - Tråante4110078022
    5006 Steinkjer4100..0..
    5035 Stjørdal9100..0..
    5037 Levanger14100..0..
    1804 Bodø3410085....
    1806 Narvik......0..
    1833 Rana5100..0..
    5401 Tromsø3610072....
    5402 Harstad12100..0..
    5403 Alta......0..
    Females
    The whole country1 92410058537
    3001 Halden....71....
    3002 Moss18100..0..
    3003 Sarpsborg17100......
    3004 Fredrikstad1910074....
    3005 Drammen5110069..31
    3006 Kongsberg....670..
    3007 Ringerike14100....36
    3014 Indre Østfold....63....
    3020 Nordre Follo2010065035
    3021 Ås......00
    3024 Bærum4010070....
    3025 Asker3010070....
    3029 Lørenskog9100......
    3030 Lillestrøm3010077....
    3031 Nittedal......031
    3033 Ullensaker17100..0..
    3034 Nes......00
    3035 Eidsvoll......0..
    3048 Øvre Eiker4100......
    3049 Lier14100..0..
    0301 Oslo municipality16710055243
    3403 Hamar15100....27
    3405 Lillehammer5100..0..
    3407 Gjøvik1810072....
    3411 Ringsaker......063
    3413 Stange6100......
    3420 Elverum4100..0..
    3801 Horten11100....55
    3802 Holmestrand....82....
    3803 Tønsberg2110048052
    3804 Sandefjord18100......
    3805 Larvik1310031....
    3806 Porsgrunn4100..0..
    3807 Skien19100....63
    3811 Færder1110045....
    4202 Grimstad1810056044
    4203 Arendal1610031069
    4204 Kristiansand4710043....
    4205 Lindesnes10100..0..
    1103 Stavanger6610050....
    1106 Haugesund2510076024
    1108 Sandnes2410054....
    1120 Klepp......00
    1124 Sola..........
    1149 Karmøy13100..0..
    4601 Bergen9410043....
    4624 Bjørnafjorden10100..0..
    4626 Øygarden6100..0..
    4627 Askøy1410064036
    4631 Alver4100..0..
    4647 Sunnfjord11100..0..
    1505 Kristiansund....56..33
    1506 Molde1610069....
    1507 Ålesund2110062....
    5001 Trondheim - Tråante7110046....
    5006 Steinkjer10100......
    5035 Stjørdal8100..0..
    5037 Levanger17100......
    1804 Bodø3110074....
    1806 Narvik......00
    1833 Rana13100..0..
    5401 Tromsø3310048....
    5402 Harstad13100..0..
    5403 Alta....00..
    Explanation of symbols
  • Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November for those who ended/left the introduction programme last five years. By sex
    Former participants in the introduction programme for immigrants. Status on the labour market in November for those who ended/left the introduction programme last five years. By sex
    2022
    Persons, by residence while in programme
    Five years earlierFour years earlierThree years earlierTwo years earlierOne year earlier
    Both sexes
    Labour force status, total6 1228 0138 0174 7903 300
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total7174716465
    Employed5250413026
    Employed and in education1216192021
    In education78111419
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total66665
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed54443
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures22221
    Other or unknown status, total2320233030
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure21122
    Receive work assessment allowances44662
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance32210
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit11111
    Receives social assistance55579
    Other groups22233
    Unknown6561012
    Males
    Labour force status, total3 9705 5985 3052 4471 376
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total7779767275
    Employed6159504237
    Employed and in education1216192126
    In education457912
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total76675
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed55554
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures12222
    Other or unknown status, total1615172120
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure..1..22
    Receive work assessment allowances34552
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance322..1
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit..0....0
    Receives social assistance34469
    Other groups11122
    Unknown43445
    Females
    Labour force status, total2 1522 4152 7122 3431 924
    Percent
    Labour force status, total100100100100100
    Employed and / or in education, total5962605558
    Employed3431251718
    Employed and in education1315171817
    In education1116192023
    Registered unemployed and/or on labour market measures, total65665
    Jobseekers not registered unemployed43443
    Other jobseekers, on labour market measures22221
    Other or unknown status, total3533343937
    Reduced capacity to work, taking part in a measure..2..22
    Receive work assessment allowances66772
    Health related allowances except work assessment allowance321..0
    Receives cash for care and/or transition benefit..2....2
    Receives social assistance98879
    Other groups33334
    Unknown99121617
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics include content in the introduction programme and encompass recipients of introductory benefit. The figures for previous participants include those who have completed or dropped out of the programme, as well as status in relation to employment and education for a five-year period after the programme.

Participant

A person who, during the reference year, was registered by a local authority as a participant on the introduction programme.

Former participant

A former participant is someone who completed the programme or for different reasons dropped out of the programme in a given year, and is registered as resident in Norway in November the following year.

Introduction benefit

The introduction benefit is the benefit that introduction programme participants receive from the local authority to cover subsistence expenses during the period of the programme. The benefit on an annual basis is equal to twice the basic amount of National Insurance (2G). Participants under the age of 25 receive two-thirds of the benefit. The benefit is taxable, and if the participant is absent from training and initiatives without a valid reason, their benefit is reduced for each hour they are not in attendance. Everyone receives the same amount of benefit as it is not means tested. This means that it is not reduced due to child allowance, cash support etc. Nor is the benefit reduced due to income from self-employment or other work, or due to the possession of capital. To the extent that paid work is included in the programme, the benefit is reduced correspondingly for the period that the work is carried out. National insurance benefits, such as sickness benefit and unemployment benefit, are nevertheless reduced accordingly.

Initiatives in the introduction programme

The introduction programme is available for persons in need of basic qualification, and as a minimum must include Norwegian language training, knowledge about society and initiatives that prepare participants for further education/training or the labour market.

In addition to traditional Norwegian language training, initiatives are also offered outside the traditional classroom teaching, such as language practice in a workplace. Language practice is part of the Norwegian language training, where participants are placed in a workplace for part of the week in order to practice their Norwegian skills in an authentic setting.

Initiatives that prepare participants for further education/training or the labour market may entail practice work or other initiatives organised by NAV, vocational training, computer training, lower secondary or upper secondary studies etc. Vocational training is a method of real competence assessment that documents both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Ending reasons

When a participant finishes the introductory program, detailed reasons for ending the programme are recorded in NIR. The statistics use the following categorization of ending reasons: work, high school and higher education, elementary school, public-sector qualification measures, social assistance, other benefits and relocation.

Immigrants

Persons born abroad to two foreign-born parents and four foreign grandparents. Immigrants have immigrated to Norway at one time or another.

Persons with a refugee background

Persons who have come to Norway seeking refuge, and family members of these groups who came here as part of family reunification. Children born to persons with a refugee background after their parents came to Norway are not included in this category, and neither are asylum seekers.

Country of birth

Mainly the mother’s country of residence when a person was born.

Employment/education

Made up of persons who are registered as employed or in education, and those who are registered with a combination of employment and education. Employed persons are defined as those who performed paid work for at least one hour during the reference week, and persons who had such work but were on temporary leave during the reference week due to illness, holiday, paid leave etc.

Registered unemployed/on initiative is defined as persons who are registered as unemployed with NAV, and persons on ordinary labour market initiatives.

Other or unknown status

Part of a collective term for the weakest degree of labour market attachment. Other status relates to individuals with a reduced ability to work who are on initiatives organised by NAV, those on long-term sick leave and recipients of social assistance. Unknown status means that they are not registered in any of the available data sources we use in the status reporting for labour market attachment. These individuals are therefore not employed, in education, registered unemployed or participating in labour market initiatives.

Country background is a person or a person’s mother’s or father’s country of birth. Persons without an immigrant background only have Norway as a country background. When both parents are foreign-born, they are normally born in the same country. In cases where the parents were born in different countries, the mother’s country of birth is used.

Municipality in this context is the programme participant’s municipality of residence.

Name: Introduction programme for immigrants
Topic: Education

24 June 2024

Division for Population Statistics

National, county, municipal and district in Oslo for previous participants, and breakdown by industry region.

Annual.

Not relevant

Files at an individual level with data are processed and stored long term.

Act no. 80 of 4 July 2003 on an introduction programme and Norwegian language training for newly arrived immigrants (the Introduction Act) made the introduction programme and introduction benefit mandatory for local authorities as of 1 September 2004. Prior to the programme being made mandatory, a growing number of municipalities had various types of trial schemes.

The purpose of the Introduction Act is to strengthen immigrants’ potential to participate in the labour market and society, and facilitate their financial independence. Section 2 of the Act stipulates who has the right and obligation to participate in the introduction programme. These are persons with a refugee background, family members of these groups who came here as part of family reunification, and persons who have been allowed to stay on an independent basis following a relationship breakdown due to abuse. Furthermore, the person must be between 18 and 55 years old and in need of basic qualification. The introduction programme is adapted to the individual’s needs for qualification and can generally last up to two years. In special cases, the programme may be extended to three years. The aim of the programme is to provide newly arrived immigrants with a refugee background with basic skills in Norwegian, a basic insight into Norwegian society, and to prepare them for participation in the labour market and/or education. Programme participants are entitled to introduction benefit, which, on an annual basis, equals twice the basic amount of the National Insurance. Participants under the age of 25 receive two-thirds of the benefit.

Users of the statistics include the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (until 16 December 2015: Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion), Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi), KS (the municipal sector’s association), municipalities, researchers, students and the media. Statistics based on KOSTRA data aim to provide management information on local authorities and county authorities, for use by the population and media, local authorities and central government bodies.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

Statistics Norway has retrieved the information about participation in the introduction scheme from the Introduction Act. Pursuant to section 10 of the Statistics Act Statistics Norway will compile official statistics from data received.

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Participants

The statistics on participation in the introduction programme include information about each participant of the introduction programme in the municipalities. The statistics include all who are registered as participants in the current year, and include information about the participant's gender, age, marital status, start date and end date of participation in the introduction programme, which initiatives they have participated in during the reference year, their ending reasons/status, which months they have received the benefit, and the total benefit amount for the year.

Former participants

Information about former participants on the introduction programme includes those who have completed or for various reasons left the programme in a given year. We follow their status in the labour market and in education over the next five years.

Participants

From 2017, statistics on participants in the introduction programme are based on data from the National Introduction Register (NIR) of the Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi).

In addition, information about the municipalities' reporting of payment of introduction benefit is obtained from the A-melding.

Until 2016 the statistics are based on local authorities’ annual submissions of electronic forms and file extractions in relation to participants who are registered on KOSTRA form 11B.

The data is then synthesised with the population statistics of 31 December in the reporting year.

Full count, i.e. all local authorities with participants on the programme should report to Statistics Norway.

Former participants

The statistics of former participants are based on KOSTRA information for all years, up to and including those who completed the introductory program in 2016.

For former participants, the data is further synthesised with the System for personal data, where information from a number of registers is collated. Register data has a reference date in November each year and contains information about whether a person is employed, registered unemployed, on an employment initiative, in education, or is in receipt of specific types of state benefits or measures. A person may, on the reference date, have more than one status at the same time, for example where they are both in employment and receiving benefit. One of the aims of these statistics is to examine how many people are active, and we have examined the activities of employment and education in addition to the combination of these. The following prioritisation was made: if a person is registered as unemployed, but is also in education, they are considered to be in education and not unemployed. As regards the other statuses, such as health-related benefits and social assistance, there are many who receive these in combination with, for example, employment, education or registered unemployment. In such cases, work and other activities, as well as registered unemployment, are prioritised.

Data is collected from the local authorities through the KOSTRA reporting. Most of the local authorities have their own business systems from which data is retrieved, while some report using an electronic form. All participants with a valid personal identification number are linked to population data from 31 December of the reporting year. Only persons who are resident in Norway at the end of the year are included in the statistics. The KOSTRA tables, however, include all participants in the year.

Checks are performed on personal identification numbers, in addition to logical value verification. In addition to the checks carried out in the National Population Register, Statistics Norway also performs checks for statistical purposes.

Former participants, leaving cohort
In order for former participants to be assigned a leaving cohort, the following processing is done: (a) All participants on the introduction programme whose status in KOSTRA is ‘completed’ or ‘dropped out’ at the end of the year are initially included in the population; (b) Only those who have actually completed the course, i.e. who are not just on temporary leave from the programme, are included in the cohort. The population is therefore checked against those who participated in the programme the following year; and (c) Women who drop out of the programme because they give birth immediately after dropping out of the programme or who for various reasons do not return to the programme once their leave ends, are added to the next cohort. Thus, they are only included in the statistics once they have had a year’s leave for child care.

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Figures are not shown where there are fewer than four units.

The statistics were first published in 2006 for the statistics year 2005.

Errors in connection with the collection and processing of data can occur. There may be coding errors, revision errors, or errors in the electronic data processing etc. Extensive efforts are made to minimise such errors. Thus, they can normally be disregarded in a statistical context.

There should in principle be no sampling errors as this is a full count.

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