Nav investigates increase among immigrant “reduced working capacity’’ workforce

NAV Social security fraud, NAV Rule labour marketNAV.Photo: Norway Today Media

The number of employed immigrants registered with”reduced working capacity’’ at Nav has increased by 10,000 since 2010. NP evaluated the measurement.

 

“Many in this group are physically healthy enough to work, but there are other things that make them unable to work. We need more research, but one theory is that language and the lack of formal qualifications are an obstacle to refugees and some immigrant groups,” said Lars Sutterud in the knowledge department at Nav to Klassekampen newspaper.

Sutterud and his colleague, Johannes Sørbø, tried to find out why ever more physically healthy employees, many of them immigrants, are registered with “reduced working capacity” at Nav.

Today, there are around 190,000 people in this category, which was created by Nav
in 2009.The term covers those who, due to illness, injury or other obstacles, need additional follow-up to be able to work. A new report by Sutterud and Sørbø has shown that the number of disabled workers with no significant health problems has increased from 26,500 people in 2010 to 46,300 people this year.

More than half of the growth in the workforce with reduced working capacity comes from immigrants. In 2010, people with immigrant backgrounds comprised 20% of the group. This year the figure is 33%. This corresponds to a growth of nearly 10,000 people.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today