Norway Jobseekers Lowest in 17 Months

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.