During 2021 and the start of 2022, the share of the population in employment increased significantly. Since the summer of 2023, the rate has declined marginally, but still stands at approximately 70%, one of its highest levels for the past 10 years.
A high employment rate compared to other countries
Compared to other industrialised countries, Norway has a high employment rate, standing at almost 9 percentage points higher than EU27 average as of Q4 2023 overall.
It is worth noting that this number for Norway is slightly different from the seasonally adjusted monthly number mentioned previously, as this data is based on the latest quarterly data for international comparisons.
A low and stable temporary employment rate
Temporary employment rates vary significantly between countries, reflecting different labor market policies and regulations. The latest data from 2022 shows that Norway had a temporary employment rate of around 8.5%, which is lower than the average rate of 11.3% for OECD-countries. Norway’s temporary employment rate is also significantly lower than the rates in Denmark (10.8%), Sweden (15.7%), and Finland (17.2%).
The temporary employment rate in Norway has been relatively stable over time, fluctuating around 7% as measured in Q4 for the last 10 years. The current temporary employment rate in Norway is approximately the same as it was in 2012.
Temporary employment is much more common among younger age groups. Over the past ten years, data for Q4 2022 shows that the temporary employment rate for youth stood at around 25%. This rate is over three times as high as the average for the population as a whole.
About the data
Data on employment are from Statistics Norway "Labour force survey seasonally-adjusted figures". New data are published monthly as a three-month moving average.
International data on employment and temporary employment are from the OECD.