In one year there have been 4,100 fewer people receiving work assessment money, but the number of recipients is increasing amongst young people.
At the end of March this year 148 400 people received work assessment allowance (AAP). This corresponds to 4.4 percent of the population aged 18-66 years, down from 4.5 percent a year ago.
This fall is partly due to the transition on to disability benefits, according NAV. In 2015 around one in five were working without additional benefits six months after they left the AAP. A third received disability benefits.
– In recent years there have been fewer and fewer people receiving work assessment allowance. For young people however we see an increase. This is a worrying trend that we follow closely, said Work and Welfare Director Sigrun Vågeng.
In March 28,800 people under the age of 30 received work assessment allowance, 800 more than the same time last year. This corresponds to 3.4 percent of the population aged 18-29. The increase is slightly higher among young women. Over 70 percent of those who receive work assessment allowance has mental disorders or muscular-skeletal problems.
In Aust-Agder and Finnmark 5.6 percent of the population receive work assessment allowance, whilst Rogaland has the lowest level with 3.2 percent.
Although the percentage is the lowest in Rogaland, this is however also the county with the largest increase, 8 percent in the past year.
Hedemark county had the largest decline compared with the previous year, by 15.2 percentage points.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
