During 2021 and 2022, the number of job vacancies increased significantly as the economy began to recover from the pandemic. The trend has since continued into 2023, and according to Statistics Norway, the first quarter of 2023 saw the highest numbers of vacancies recorded, with over 130,000 job openings.
Strong demand for labour in administrative and support services
According to the latest data, the majority of job vacancies can be found in the domestic trade sector, with 19 500 vacancies in the first quarter of 2023. When looking at the vacancy rate, which is the number of vacancies as a percentage of the total number of job positions, the administrative and support service sector has the highest share at over 6%. Mining is currently the sector with the lowest vacancy rate.
Vacancy rates on the rise across Europe
According to data from Eurostat, the job vacancy rate is increasing in several European countries and has now reached a higher level than it was prior to the pandemic. While this trend is generally seen as a positive sign for the job market, it is important to note that a high vacancy rate can also be negative if businesses are unable to find qualified labor to fill open positions. This can lead to a bottleneck in the economy and hinder overall growth.
In Q4 2022, Norway’s job vacancy rate of 3.7% was higher than Sweden (3.0%), Finland (2.9%) and the EU27-average (2.9%).
About the data
Data on vacancies are from Statistics Norway ‘Job Vacancies‘. New data is published every quarter. Note that the data does not separate between full-time and part-time posts.
International data on vacancies are from Eurostat.
During 2021 and 2022, the number of job vacancies increased significantly as the economy began to recover from the pandemic. The trend has since continued into 2023, and according to Statistics Norway, the first quarter of 2023 saw the highest numbers of vacancies recorded, with over 130,000 job openings.
Strong demand for labour in administrative and support services
According to the latest data, the majority of job vacancies can be found in the domestic trade sector, with 19 500 vacancies in the first quarter of 2023. When looking at the vacancy rate, which is the number of vacancies as a percentage of the total number of job positions, the administrative and support service sector has the highest share at over 6%. Mining is currently the sector with the lowest vacancy rate, together manufacturing.
Vacancy rates on the rise across Europe
According to data from Eurostat, the job vacancy rate is increasing in several European countries and has now reached a higher level than it was prior to the pandemic. While this trend is generally seen as a positive sign for the job market, it is important to note that a high vacancy rate can also be negative if businesses are unable to find qualified labor to fill open positions. This can lead to a bottleneck in the economy and hinder overall growth.
In 2022-Q4, Norway’s job vacancy rate of 3.7% was relatively moderate compared to other European countries like the Netherlands (4.8%) and Germany (4.3%), while remaining higher than Sweden (3.0%), Finland (2.9%) and the EU27-average (2.9%).
About the data and terms of use
Data on vacancies are from Statistics Norway 'Job Vacancies'. New data is published every quarter. The data does not separate between full-time and part-time posts.
International data on vacancies are from Eurostat.