Norway Unemployed Persons

Norway’s seasonally adjusted number of people registered as out of work declined to 61.3 thousand in September 2026, the lowest level since April 2025, from a downwardly revised 61.9 thousand in August. This represented 2.0% of the workforce, unchanged from the previous month, while gross unemployment held steady at 2.6%. Among occupations, tourism and transport recorded the highest gross unemployment rate at 3.5%, while academic professions and health, nursing and care had the lowest rates at 1.0% and 1.1%, respectively. By region, gross unemployment was highest in Østfold (3.2%) and Oslo (3.1%), while lowest in Troms at 1.5%. Labor demand remained firm, with 44.5 thousand vacancies advertised in September, or around 1,900 per working day, up 3% from a year earlier. On an unadjusted basis, fully unemployed people totaled 59.4 thousand, down from 62 thousand a year earlier.

The number of people registered as out of work in Norway stood at a seasonally adjusted 62.2 thousand in August 2026, little changed from 62.1 thousand in July. This corresponded to 2.1% of the workforce, unchanged from the previous month. Unemployment was highest among child and youth workers and tourism and transport occupations, at 2.9% of the workforce, while academic professions and health, nursing and care recorded the lowest rates, at 0.9% and 1.0%, respectively. Regionally, Oslo and Østfold posted the highest unemployment rates at 2.8% and 2.7%, while Troms recorded the lowest at 1.3%. Meanwhile, labor demand remained relatively strong, with 30.6 thousand vacancies advertised in August, equivalent to around 1,900 openings per working day, although the total was 2% lower than a year earlier. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, fully unemployed people totaled 62.8 thousand in August, down from 64.0 thousand in July.

The number of people registered as out of work in Norway rose to a seasonally adjusted 62.1 thousand in July 2026 from an upwardly revised fourteen-month low of 61.7 thousand in the previous month. This corresponded to 2.1% of the workforce, up from 2.0% in June. Unemployment was highest among child and youth workers, at 3.0% of the workforce, while academic professions and health, nursing and care occupations recorded the lowest rate, at 0.9%. Regionally, Oslo and Østfold posted the highest jobless rate at 2.9% and 2.8%, respectively, while Troms recorded the lowest at 1.3%. Meanwhile, labor demand weakened, with 25.4 thousand vacancies advertised in July, equivalent to around 1,800 openings per working day and down 14% from a year earlier. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the number of fully unemployed people rose to 64.0 thousand in July from 58.1 thousand in June.