Norway Jobless Rate Rises to 4-Month High

Norway’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in January 2026 from 4.3% in the previous month, marking the highest level since September 2025. The number of unemployed persons increased by 8 thousand month-on-month to 138 thousand. Meanwhile, the employment rate fell to 69.1% from 69.5%, as the number of employed individuals declined by 17 thousand to 2.890 million. The labor force participation rate also edged down to 72.4% from 72.6% in December. At the same time, the youth unemployment rate, which measures job seekers aged 15 to 24, rose to 14.1% from 12.7% in the prior month.

Norway’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in December 2025 from 4.5% in November. This marked the lowest jobless rate since February, as the number of unemployed persons decreased by 8 thousand from a month earlier to 129 thousand. Meanwhile, the employment rate picked up to 69.5% from 69.0% in the previous month, with the number of employed individuals rising by 25 thousand to 2.909 million. The labor force participation rate went up to 72.6% from 72.3% in the November. The youth unemployment rate, which measures the number of job-seekers aged 15 to 24, dropped to an eleven-month low of 12.8% from 15.2% in the previous month.

Norway’s seasonally adjusted unemployment edged up to 4.5% in November 2025 from a downwardly revised 4.4% in October, in line with market expectations. The number of unemployed persons remained at 135 thousand. Meanwhile, the employment rate went down to 69.1% from 69.8% in the previous month, with the number of employed individuals falling by 28 thousand to 2.887 million. The labor force participation rate dropped to 72.3% from 73% in October. The youth unemployment rate, which measures the number of job-seekers aged 15 to 24, rose to 15.4%, the highest in three months, from 14.1% in the prior month.