Unemployment rate after the coronavirus outbreak in Norway 2021, by industry

Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in Norway, many people have lost their jobs. This was especially the case for employees in the tourism and transportation sector. Before the coronavirus outbreak, the unemployment rate in the sector amounted to 3.4 percent. As of February 2021, however, the rate increased to 13.6 percent. Compared to other significantly affected industries, such as industrial work, the unemployment rate in the tourism and transportation sector was more than twice as high.

Traveling and tourism

As of July 2020, many companies in the traveling and tourism industry had completed layoffs. In detail, 85 percent of travel agencies and 95 percent of hotels had laid off employees due to the coronavirus crisis. The extent of these layoffs unfolded slightly differently in the two sectors: While 65 percent of travel agencies dismissed between 76 and 100 percent of their employees, 81 percent of hotels had to do the same.

Unemployment

Despite the significant rise in unemployment levels in Norway since March 2020, the number of unemployed individuals gradually decreased as of April 2020 before increasing again. While over 300 thousand people were unemployed by the end of March 2020, the number had nearly halved by June 2020. As of February 2021, roughly 124 people registered as unemployed.