At the end of May, 80,300 people were registered as unemployed at Nav, 200 more than the previous month. Unemployment is now at 2.9 percent of the workforce.
80,300 unemployed is 5,300 more than a year ago. Unemployment is now at 2.9 percent of the workforce, compared with 2.7 percent last May.
The sum of the unemployed and job seekers taking part in measures and initiatives meant to help them get back to work, were 99,100 people in total last month, equivalent to 3.6 percent of the workforce. That’s 10,500 more people than a year ago. At that time the gross unemployment was at 3.2 percent of the workforce.
Stable growth
-The level of unemployment has remained relatively stable in recent months, and the trend in the labor market has been better than we expected. Fewer people are signing on at Nav, and there are more unemployed people are taking part in initiatives and measures meant to help them get back to work. In sum, this means that unemployment remains at about the same level as before, Labor and Welfare Director Sigrun Vågeng said.
The sum of unemployed and job seekers on measures increased by 900 people in total from April to May.
From April to May, unemployment rose for the engineering, ICT and industrial trades, professions associated with the troubled oil sector. Construction occupations and professions in tourism and transport had the largest decrease in unemployment. These unemployment rates are adjusted for normal seasonal variations.
The largest increase in Rogaland
The greatest percentage decrease in unemployment from April to May has been in the counties Sogn og Fjordane and Buskerud . Finnmark and Aust-Agder counties with the largest increase in unemployment.
Compared with May last year, the decline was greatest in Hedmark and Nord-Trøndelag, with respectively 11 and 9 percent. The largest increase in unemployment over the past year has not surprisingly been in the oil county Rogaland. In this county unemployment has increased by 45 percent to 4.3 percent – the highest in the country.
In Møre og Romsdal the increase in the last year is at 33 per cent, while the level of unemployment in Horaaland has increased by 27 percent.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
