Most Immigrants have lower wages

Construction workerConstruction worker

Immigrants in Norway on average earn less than the rest of the population, but in some professions, for example nurses this does not apply.

 

In September 2016, the average monthly salary for wage recipients in Norway was NOK 43,300. Immigrants had a monthly salary of 38,000 kroner, reports Statistics Norway.

This is the first time Statistics Norway has produced wage statistics for immigrants, there are major differences among immigrants, depending on the country they come from and what occupation they have. Statistics Norway points out that wage differences will be less when comparing employees in the same profession.

African immigrants had an average salary of 34,000 kroner, while Western European immigrants on average earned 47,300 kroner.

Average wages for immigrants correspond to 86 percent of wages for non-immigrants.

North Americans on top
Immigrants from North, Western Europe and North America earn over average or more wages of the entire population. Immigrants from North America have the highest average wage, at 51,100 kroner a month.

Here immigrants are defined as persons living in Norway born abroad by two foreign-born parents who have four foreign-born grandparents. Children born to immigrants in Norway are not considered immigrants.

Eastern European craftsmen
What professions the different immigrant groups have, varies greatly. 23 percent of immigrants from Eastern Europe are craftsmen, and it is clearly more than in the other immigrant groups.

The large group of Eastern European craftsmen earns NOK 33,100, which is 89 percent of the wages other employees with similar professions earn.

Different distribution between high and low-paid professions explains part of the pay gap between immigrants with different backgrounds.

In academic professions, immigrants generally earn more than other employees. Among nurses, immigrants earn more than average against other employees. Overall, the salary for immigrants is 43,600 kroner, which is 4 percent more than for other nurses.

While bus drivers and coaches, the pay is about the same regardless of country and whether or not they are immigrants.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today